Medal of Honor: Warfighter
by SEAL98
Summary: Formerly Parallel (Words I Never Said). Lucas has gone off and joined the Navy without telling anyone. Now, he is back from BUD/S, a Navy SEAL, and is about to be deployed. What will happen to him and Brooke? And what will happen while he is deployed? BRUCAS, Plots from We Were Soldiers, Lone Survivor, and the Medal of honor video games. Military Army Navy SEAL fanfic
1. Chapter 1

January 13th, 2014

Lucas felt himself be pulled out of the water as black spots slowly invaded his vision. In his first swim since the timed swim that he had passed with flying colors, he had swum too fast in the freezing Pacific Ocean after staying up on exercises all of the previous night, tiring himself with his frantic pace, and gotten the shakes. He felt something be put on his head and a blanket be pulled over him. After a minute, the instructors pulled his mask, snorkel, and fins off. Lucas was so tired that he could barely even comprehend what was happening. One of the instructors knelt down in the boat and looked at him in the face, asking, "Six times three?" Lucas felt his mind go adrift to Brooke, turning around to smile at him during class, blowing him a kiss. "_Focus Luke. You can do this...What'd he ask?"_ He saw Brooke again in his exhausted hallucination, kissing him in bed, saying, "I'll always love you Luke. No matter what." He saw her grab his ring finger, rubbing it in her hand as she smiled and kissed it. _"You can be back to her in a second, all you have to do is ring that bell three times..."_ Then Lucas, back in reality, caught a glimpse of his swim buddy, Jack Brewer, freezing as he treaded water, waiting for his swim buddy to return. _"I can do this. For him. For my team. I WILL NOT let BUD/S conquer me. I WILL be a Navy SEAL._" He began to count, his voice coming out in gasps, "Seven...eight...eighteen!" The instructor nodded. "Ohhh! Back in you go!" And with that, Lucas reattached his gear, hopped back in, and gave Jack knuckles. "You ok bro?" "I will be." Lucas replied. Jack nodded as they began to swim the last mile. "Always remember what they say Lucas...Never out of the fight."

January 27th

At two in the morning, Lucas, soaking wet because of the time spent in the ocean that day and being hosed down while doing pushups and situps on the concrete in front of the dorms. Hell week, the week that all Navy SEAL trainees dreaded the most, had begun, and in the cold water of the winter, it was even more miserable than normal. Lucas felt himself fall to the ground in agony as he tried to push through more pushups than he had ever done in his life, the burning sensation all over his body easily worse than the pain ever experienced in any basketball workout. He looked over to the bell that was conveniently placed right where the trainees could see. _"I could be back to Brooke so soon...all I have to do is ring the bell three times."_ Lucas looked over and saw Jacob Black struggling through the reps just like him, but with a determined look on his face. He remembered a conversation he had had with Jacob late the night before as they swam together through the Pacific._ "Why are you doing this man?" Lucas asked. "To prove to all of those people in my life who have told me that I can't. I want to defend my country the best that I know how. So I decided that the best way to do it was to become a United States Navy SEAL." "What'd your parents say?" Lucas asked him. "That I was wasting my time. That only certain types of people could be SEAL's." "And what do you think?" Lucas asked. Jacob stopped swimming for a second and looked at Lucas. "Well, it's the first day of hell week, and I'm still here, aren't I?"_ Lucas shook off the thoughts, and pushed through the burning pain coursing through his body. "I'm going to do this for my team."

Early as the sun came up hours later, Lucas watched as one of the instructors walked in front of the trainees on the beach as they stood there, soaking wet and covered in the sand that the instructors had told them to roll in. He spoke, "Ring the bell three times and set your helmet on the ground, you're done." Though it had only been one day, Lucas was already second guessing himself, not sure if he could push through the pain for five more days with only four hours of sleep over that entire span. _"You can just ring the bell and be done..." "No, I will NOT give in."_

Lucas, standing on the beach with his rubber raft and his six man boat crew, heard the instructor scream, "TAKE OFF FOR THE SURF AND BACK. IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT IN TWO MINUTES, YOU DO IT AGAIN!" The men promptly took off running there and back, returning to the boat only to be told to carry the boats to the water and paddle out to sea. As Lucas led his boat crew, another instructor came up along side of him, asking, "Have you ever been tested this hard in your life?" "Never." Lucas replied, before hopping in the boat, paddling with his crew out to the waves, and then being drilled by a seven foot wave. He paddled, thinking to himself as he did, _"Winning here is a conscious decision."_

January 28th

Lucas stood in formation in the concrete courtyard again, hearing another instructor come up to him and say, "Make up your mind whether you want to choose to pass. Or, choose to fail..." Lucas stood there, his body shivering so much that he was about to fall over. He looked to his left and saw Jacob Black, Jack Brewer, Percy Jackson, Zack and Cody Martin, Austin Moon, all about to fall over, but looking to Lucas for guidance. Lucas then turned and looked to his right and saw Charlie Baker, Nick, Kevin, and Joe Jonas, Brooks Wentworth, Ryan McCarten, and Austin North also looking at him for leadership. Behind him, Will Cloud, Justin Russo, Chad Dylan Cooper, PJ Duncan, Spencer Walsh, James Diamond, Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell were all doing the same. Then Lucas looked straight ahead at the instructor, before flashing back to when he left Tree Hill, lying about where he would be for the next six months._ "Lucas, are you sure this is what you want? Studying abroad?" "Yeah Brooke, it's what I want." She nodded, biting her lip. "Alright. We can do this. And then you'll come back like nothing has changed, right?" "Right. Everything is gonna be alright, I promise." Lucas pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. "Lucas, everyone else is going to be hurt." "Why's that?" He asked. "Because deep down, they all want you here to be the center of our group. You're a leader Lucas. You always have been, even when you didn't have many followers. And you always will be." _Lucas shook the haze off and looked straight at the instructor before nodding. The instructor didn't say anything, but Lucas saw a proud glint in the instructors eyes. "Down!" He screamed, and all of the recruits hit the deck, with Lucas being the first one to start repping out his pushups.

Later that day, Lucas watched on the pool deck near the deep end as the diving instructor tied all of the trainees arms together and legs together. "Alright gentlemen, today I'm going to introduce to y'all the feeling of not being able to breathe." Lucas and the rest were subsequently dropped into the pool, having to fall to the bottom and then push up to breathe. And then, all of a sudden, Lucas saw Charlie go down and not come up. In between falls, he pushed up and screamed as he came out of the water. The instructors quickly grabbed him and pulled him up, slapping his face and massaging his chest to bring him back to consciousness and to make the water come out. As the men were untied one by one, they all went to the pool deck to see who the status of their teammate, who was wearing a breathing mask, shaking his head. Lucas walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder. "We're gonna get through this together brother. I promise."

January 29th

Lucas walked through the courtyard, exhausted, but only halfway through the six days. He looked over to the bell to see a line to ring it nearly ten men long. "You could join them and be back to Brooke soon." Lucas shook the thought away, instead taking off to lead his boat crew and most of the rest of the class that had begun to follow his lead since the beginning of hell week. "These are my brothers. I will NOT quit on them, no matter the cost."

The men walked out onto the beach and began surf torture, one of the worst parts of SEAL school. The men all laid in the surf and were pounded by the freezing waves for hours on end, weeding out the weak. In that time, the soldiers often thought about why they were there and what was keeping them going. Lucas was no exception. As he looked to his left and right, he saw men that had, in a few short weeks, turned into his brothers. The instructor knealt down next to the men in the water and spoke, "Take all of this shaking and all of this cold, harness it, and turn it into aggression."

Lucas stood in the cafeteria, standing so that he wouldn't fall asleep in his food, when he saw Jack crying. It was silent, but the red eyes and tears running down his face were unmistakable. Lucas walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "What's up brother?" "I don't think I can do this anymore Luke." "Hey now, no talk like that. Just remember, when you're done, when you have nothing left to give, your brothers are still here, and we will always carry you when you're too weak to stand. I promise." Jack nodded, the tears slowing, and Lucas smiled, quickly hugged him, and went back to eat. "I'll always take care of my brothers."

Lucas was on the beach, watching as the diving instructor talked to them in a brief lull in the many revolving activities that made up Hell Week. "You just prove to your bodies, through your mind," he said, "that you can push yourself further than you thought possible." All of the SEAL trainees looked to Lucas, who they had increasingly come to call their leader. It was a responsibility that Lucas did not take lightly. The instructor looked at Lucas and nodded, before screaming at the men to hit the surf. They took off and came back, with a new instructor screaming, "You don't get wet?! RUN!"

January 31st

Lucas and his boat crew, along with the various others, ran around the beach with their rubber flat bottomed boats held over their heads, the pain so agonizing that many were about to faint from it, as well as the utter exhaustion. All of a sudden, the instructors yelled at them to sit, with the boats still held above their heads. The trainees all did so, and all of a sudden, with their focus on walking gone, the pain became excruciating. While the core group of guys that had surrounded Lucas has supported one another since that day and not given in, many of their buddies had given up and rung the bell three times, sat down their helmet, and quit. Lucas had been leading his group, but even now, he was having his doubts. The instructors saw this, and immediately chose to prey on his moment of weakness. "Are you sure you want to be here?" One of them asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Yes I do." Lucas replied, his voice weak and his mind wandering to Tree Hill. The instructor went down to Lucas's level and stared him straight in the face before asking, "Are you absolutely sure?" Lucas's mind flashed to Brooke, his family, and his friends back in Tree Hill, and then to his teammates who were looking to him to lead them through training and beyond. All of it flashed through his mind in a split second before he took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "I'M POSITIVE!"

February 1st

The SEAL's all took off running, yet again, as they forced their exhausted bodies to push through the last little bit of Hell Week. Lucas, originally leading, fell back to give Jack Brewer and Austin North a push forward. A SEAL instructor ran up alongside of the men and yelled, "Whatever you have to do, just find an excuse to win. Keep. Going." Lucas took off to get back to the front, as he began to feel something in his chest that he hadn't ever felt before. He felt a pride rise up inside of him as he ran along the beach in an exhausted state that resulted from only four hours of sleep over five days. _"This is what it feels like to be a SEAL...best fucking feeling in the world."_

June 23rd

Lucas, since having earned the promotion to Chief Petty Officer, walked around the group of SEAL instructors with smiles on their faces as they all took turns shaking his and the other successful trainees hands. All of the core group that had begun to follow Lucas made it through SEAL training, and the Navy saw fit to promote Lucas because of the impact that he was proving to have on the soldiers who followed him. At the end of the handshaking and the ceremony where the SEAL tridents were pinned on the soldiers dress uniforms, the instructors grabbed Lucas and had him run to the front where the bell was. Lucas took off running, laughing with his buddies the entire way, before ringing the bell three times and screaming, "IT PAYS TO BE A WINNER!"

June 24th

Lucas was dressed in jeans, a shirt, and boots as he flew back to Tree Hill. He pulled out a photo of him and all of his buddies in their woodland BDU's after they did the pre graduation ceremony of jumping into the bay together. He put in his headphones and smiled at the picture. _"I like having my buddies that I can depend on. And I would like for them to be able to depend on me...These guys are my band of brothers."_ And with that final thought, he slowly began to fall asleep, thinking of how he was going to tell Brooke.

(Search Lone Survivor intro on youtube. This chapter is based almost exactly on that)


	2. Chapter 2

_**July 4th, 2014**_

Lucas held Brookes hand, both laughing, as they ran through the crowd in front of the Washington monument. They had come up for A Capitol Fourth, courtesy of Lucas, and they were having a great time. But in the back of his mind, Lucas was worrying,_"how on earth am I gonna tell Brooke?" _

Brooke looked back at him and smiled, slowly pulling at her boyfriends hand. She started to worry, however, when she saw that he looked regretful and hurt._ "Did I say something? Did I do something? He's been like this a lot over the past couple of weeks, ever since he got back from his vacation. Did something happen the three months he was gone that made him not wanna be with me?"_

As they stood and listened in the dusk to the many singers and performers that made their way across the stage, both were thinking in the back of their minds that something was wrong. Then, Kendall Schmidt walked across stage. He spoke, "hey everyone, this is a nee song called parallel, its a tribute to all you military families that protect our nation and our freedom. So thank y'all, this ones for you." He launched into the song, and slowly, Lucas realized that it was time for him to tell Brooke. He had to, he thought, because if he didn't tell her now, when would he? As Kendall reached the chorus, he finally leveled his courage and spoke I to Brookes ear. "Brooke, I need to tell you something."

Brooke looked at him with a strange look on her face, but saw that Lucas wasn't kidding and that this was actually serious. "What is it Luke?"

Lucas looked at Brooke, took a deep breath, and let it out. "Brooke, you've gotta hear me out. Don't say anything until you've heard my story. Then feel free to pass judgment." He looked her dead in the face, swallowed the growing lump in his throat, and continued on. "It's about studying abroad. That wasn't studying, and I wasn't in Europe. I went to BUD/S. SEAL school. I'm in the Navy, and I joined the Navy SEAL's. I'm a special forces operative, and I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I should have Brooke, and you have to believe me, that I am so sorry, but I didn't want you to worry. I just...I just couldn't tell you."

Lucas was holding her shoulders, coaxing her to a embrace him, but Brooke just stood there, dead silent. "Why Lucas? Why?" she finally asked, after a few seconds of dead silence that seemed like an eternity. She stood there glaring at Lucas through her suddenly moist eyes, her mind screaming at her to get an answer.

Lucas pondered the question for a second, before he answered. "I always felt called, felt a, I don't know, a higher duty? I didn't know what exactly till a few months ago. But when I saw some of those guys cone back from Afghanistan a few months ago, it tore me up inside. I knew that I needed to be over there, helping out these guys. So, I volunteered, managed to get into BUD/S, and now here we are." Brooke stared at him, unbelieving. "just like that?" she asked, praying still that it wasn't so. Lucas stared back at her, and in a whim, grabbed a hold of her hands. "Just like that," He answered, looking down at the ground.

Brooke looked at him, still not believing. "All the crap going on in the world, everything in the middle east, everything in Russia, you still want to go out and join? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!" She screamed, drawing looks from many of the people around. BUt Brooke didn't care, because she wanted for him to be noticed, wanted for him to feel bad, because in her mind, she knew that there was nothing she could say or do that could stop Lucas Scott when he set his mind to something like he clearly had with the SEAL's.

Lucas looked away, not wanting Brooke to see the tears in his eyes. "Yes," he said simply, "I wanna go. And please Brooke, you gotta understand, I have to do this. Not just for me. But for you, and mom, and Nathan and Haley and Peyton and Keith and for all my other friends and family. I can't let this outside world come in and hurt y'all. That's why I have to go."

Brooke saw the tears in Lucas' eyes, and knew that he honestly beloved that he had to do this. "Who else knows?" she asked him. "No one," he answered, the strain in his voice making it clear that he was about to cry. Brooke looked at him compassionately, her anger momentarily forgotten, while she caressed his face with her hand. "Luke, I'm not mad at you, I just wish you would have told me. I'm not mad, just scared. I can't lose you Lucas, understand? I just can't. My life wouldn't be the same without you. It wouldn't be worth living. I know that we're just 17, but our love has become stronger than anything that I've ever felt before. But you Lucas, you, have to be alive for it to be there, understand Luke? I need you. And it scares me that you might not be here..."

Lucas nodded, the tears finally spilling. "I brought you here today cause I thought it might help you understand. I love you Brooke... Now for the bad news.

I'm about to be deployed."

Brooke swallowed hard, and asked the question she knew she didn't want the answer to. But she had to know. "here?" she asked, silently pleading it wasn't anywhere to dangerous. Lucas swallowed, knowing Brooke was about go hate his answer. "Afghanistan."

Brooke looked at beck and fought to keep the fear on the inside from showing. Calmly, she spoke, "you need to tell Karen and Keith. And everybody else." "I know," he replied, "it's just hard."

The fireworks began to go off, and as the teens headed home, both realized that their lives, as well as their families and friends, were about to significantly change.


	3. Chapter 3

_**July 5th, 2014**_

Lucas looked out of the window in his hotel room. He looked out and saw the capitol building as well as the Washington monument. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. _"By dawns early light," _he thought to himself as he saw the brilliant morning sun slowly creep up over the buildings of Washington D.C. The city slowly began to wake up and move. Lucas checked the military issued watch on his left wrist to check and see how much time he had to his appointment with General Shepard, the general over all of Joint Operations Command, as well as the secretary of defense. The appointment was at 8. It was 6. Lucas slowly walked over to the closet and pulled out his dress uniform. He ran his hands over it, still not believing that this was all happening. He slowly donned his uniform, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Brooke woke up to see Lucas staring out of the window over the capitol. She crawled out of the bed silently, went and took a quick shower, and got ready as fast as she could. She got into a semi formal black dress and walked out to see Lucas looking at his uniform in the mirror. His white dress pants fell perfectly around his shiny white shoes, his pants and shirt perfectly ironed. He put his military flight cap on (A/N: The hat that officers wear in Navy Dress Whites) to make sure it fit just right. Brooke felt her knees go weak, and she had to admit, there was something about seeing her man in uniform. She walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist. After the embrace, she walked around to front. "Your tie needs to be straightened," she stated calmly.

Lucas smiled, and removed his beret, as Brooke straightened his tie. He couldn't believe how lucky he was that he had a girl like Brooke. _"And she's all mine,"_ he thought to himself. "Attention soldier," Brooke said, smiling. Out of instinct, Lucas immediately straightened to attention. Brooke smiled, as did Lucas. "At ease baby," Brooke stated. Lucas smiled even wider and pulled her into a kiss. "You sure you're gonna be able to deal with this?" Lucas asked. Brooke nodded her head, and Lucas could see there might be tears. He quickly dropped the subject, held her hand, and said, "you know, I'm always gonna need your help with my dress unis." "Is that so?" She asked, lightly smiling at him. He kissed her forehead and pulled her close. "That's right. Tan unis, dress white, dress blues, all different kinds of each, it's so confusing. That's why I'm blessed to have the best upcoming fashionista in the business by my side." Brooke smiled and kissed his cheek before putting her head back on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a few minutes, before Lucas got a call from an officer that had hi step away. Brooke watched as his demeanor immediately changed as he stood there talking, looking out of the window of the room onto the Capitol grounds. She smiled to herself, because even though she knew that he was going to be in danger doing his job, she could already tell by his actions and demeanor that he loved it. The call went off, Lucas turned around, smiled at her, grabbed her hand, and guided her out to the walkway to the capitol. THey stepped outside, Lucas put on his flight cap, and they stepped into the government car, before being whisked away to wherever the defense minister and General Shepherd were.

A while later, the car stopped, and they both stepped out. "Why are we at Arlington?" Lucas quickly asked. He was confused, to say the least. "This is our meeting. You ready for this?" General Shepard stated as he gestured his hand over the massive cemetery. A funeral was going on about 50 yards away. "That is the final resting place for Staff Sergeant Beckett Oliver, Army, 75th ranger regiment, 1st battalion, 2nd company. He and his battalion were assigned to Joint Operations Command. He was killed in action over in Afghanistan. Saved his squad from about thirty insurgents closing in on their exit chopper. Hopped right off and held them off long enough for the chopper to get away. Left behind his wife Missy and his two kids. This is the legacy you must be prepared to leave behind. So I ask you young Lucas, are you prepared to leave all this behind?" Shepard asked. Lucas felt tears come to his eyes as he looked away from the funeral, only to find Brooke with tears sliding silently down her cheeks. Lucas looked back at Shepard, who had a hardened expression, but sadness was clearly there. "We give up a lot when we choose this life. Sacrifice our families, jobs, money, passions, all for a meekly paid job that brings incredible dangers. We sacrifice being there when our children are born, and as they grow up, we miss their lives, all to help some other kids in a nation half a world away. We are separated from our loves and our families and friends, all to help families that we'll never hear of again once we leave. If we leave. We sacrifice multiple facets of life so that others may have them. But that in no way makes it easier. So again I ask you. Are you prepared young Lucas?" Shepard continued. Lucas felt tears streaming down his face again, even faster than before. The secretary walked out and put his hand in Brookes shoulder. The four stood there, contemplating the sacrifice Beck had made.

Brooke stood there, crying, wondering how she could let Lucas walk into this. She loved him with all her heart, but she believed he was making a mistake. A big mistake. One that could cost him his life. But she turned and looked at Lucas, and saw him in his uniform, and realized that this was, in fact, what he was called to do. She knew now, she was going to have to learn to let go.


	4. Chapter 4

_**July 10th, 2014**_

Lucas pulled into his driveway, turned off the keys to his truck, and looked over at Brooke. The ride had been much quieter than the ride to Washington D.C., with both thinking about what was coming next. He looked at his house, and saw the entire family, through the window, playing a board game, just having a great time. They were all there, just like he had asked. He sighed before looking over at Brooke, who nodded her head towards the house. It was time to face the music. They stepped out of the car, and slowly walked to the front door. He opened the door and was immediately greeted by hugs from his mom, Haley, Peyton, Rachel, and Keith. He got handshakes from Dan, mouth, skills, and Nathan. After brief conversations about the trip and about how things had been in Tree Hill while he was gone, Lucas sat the family down and spoke to them, "Alright everyone, its great to see y'all. But I need to talk to y'all. And its important. So if you guys could sit down that'd be great." Everybody made there way to the couches in the family room, and once they had settled in, Lucas began, "The reason I asked you here today was to tell y'all some news. That vacation I went on to Europe wasn't really a vacation. I wasn't really in Europe. I went toBUD/S. SEAL school. I'm now a Navy SEAL. And I'm being deployed in 10 days to Afghanistan."

The room was dead quiet. Then it exploded with noise, ""YOU DID WHAT LUCAS SCOTT?!" Karen yelled. Haley screamed, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GOD DAMN MIND?! SNEAKING OFF AND JOINING THE MILITARY AND GETTING YOUR ASS DEPLOYED?! I'M GONNA KILL YOU SCOTT!"

Both of them burst into tears, wailing, half angry at him, half begging for him not to go. Lucas just stood back and watched them. As he looked around the rest of the room, he was stunned to see everyone, even Keith, Nathan, and even Dan had tears in their eyes. He hadn't expected it to go like this. He had expected sadness, but not to the level he was seeing. He spoke, "Look, what's done is done. I can't change that. I'm just telling you, asking for your forgiveness for not telling you...and asking for your blessing."

The room went dead silent. Brooke sat there with tears streaming down her face realizing that it was real. It was so close to his time to be deployed, and she knew that these next 10 days could very possibly be the last she'd ever spend with him. She stood up, walked over to Lucas, and have him a kiss, then fell into his arms without warning and cried into his shoulder. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Nathan standing there. Nathan pulled her and Lucas up to their feet, and pulled them into a tight hug. Soon, Keith joined. Then Dan, Peyton, skills, Rachel, and mouth all joined. Finally, Haley and Lucas' mom relented and rushed into the massive hug that now surrounded Lucas and Brooke. Rachel was the first to speak, "So, since you're gonna have to leave for some shithole a half a world away in 10 days, I guess we gotta have as much fun as we possibly can till them don't we?" Lucas smiled, and looked at Brooke. She smiled, and nodded her head. Lucas looked at Rachel, and spoke, "Exactly Rachel. Look, I don't wanna go to my deployment after 10 days of crying. Let's go out and enjoy ourselves! Let's make some memories! Can we do that? Because I don't want us to look back on this time and regret anything. These are gonna be some of our last days together where we're totally free. So, can we all get together and enjoy these last few days?" Brooke smiled, and nodded her head. Everybody looked at Lucas, and they began to nod their heads yes.

Lucas looked around at his friends and family, and painfully smiled back. He wasn't gonna lie to himself, he was not as confident as he was feeling. But for their sakes, he knew he had to be strong, carry the load of their emotions and fears on his back, and trudge on through all that life would begin to throw at him after the next 10 days passed. "Look guys, it's all gonna be alright. It's alright. I'm gonna be fine, I promise. No worries, I was trained well. I'm better than they are. They aren't gonna touch me. It's all gonna be alright. I'm not gonna be some statistic on CNN. I'm gonna be deployed for a while, and you know what? I'll come back the same Lucas y'all all know and love, and we'll just pick up where we left off, ok? It's all gonna work out, I promise," Lucas promised them. But while the words seemed to comfort everyone, and bring back some of their cheer, Lucas would be lying if he said he in any way believed a word of all that he had just promised them.

Later that night, after a spirited family and friends game night and movie night, Lucas and Brooke crawled into Lucas' bed. Neither fell asleep quickly. Brooke stayed up thinking about all that she was going to do with Lucas over the next few days before he was deployed. But Lucas was thinking about something different. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the scene of Sergeant Beckett Oliver's funeral out of his head. The image of his widow. The sight of the children he left behind. The view of a son seeing his father for one last time. And general Shepard's words stayed with him, "We give up alot when we choose this life. Sacrifice our families, jobs, money, passions, all for a meekly paid job that brings incredible dangers. We sacrifice being there when our children are born, as they grow up, we miss their lives, all to help some other kids in a nation half a world away. We are separated from our loves and our families and friends, all to help families that we'll never hear of again once we leave. If we leave. We sacrifice multiple facets of life so that others may have it. But that in no way makes it easier. So again I ask you. Are you prepared young Lucas?" And as Lucas sat in the bed, rolled over and saw Brooke peacefully sleeping, he had to admit to himself. _"What if I'm making a mistake? What if I rushed into something I'm not supposed to do? What if I go off, and get killed, and leave Brooke and my family and friends behind at Arlington like beck did?" _And in that moment, Lucas admitted to himself, he felt no confidence in the words he had spoken to his family so confidently earlier that day. He spoke out loud, "What if I have to leave all of this behind?" Lucas simply stared at the feeling, waiting for an answer. But the only thing he heard or saw was the tears streaming down the face of a young widow and the final goodbye from a son without a father.

_**A/N:Hey guys! How are y'all liking the story so far? I'm loving it! So, I want y'all's suggestions on how to make it better. Possible plot lines, possible world events, anything! Dm me or review what you think. I'm open to opinions of what you guys think ought to happen. Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**July 15th, 2014**_

Lucas woke up, and felt the need to do something for his family. He had to get support for his family and friends, but especially Brooke. They would all need somebody while he was deployed. He sent Karen a text saying he would need her Cadillac Escalade. Then he sent texts to Rachel, Skills, Mouth, Haley, and Nathan telling them to meet him for a little trip down to South Carolina. Then, he leaned down and kissed Brooke good morning. She smiled up at him, and spoke, "Good morning handsome. How'd you sleep?" Lucas smiled down, removed a strand of hair from her forehead, caressed her cheek, and gently kissed her again. She looked up at him with a smile and a questioning look, and asked, "Why are you doing all that? Not that I'm complaining of course, but..." Lucas looked away, and pondered that for a minute. "I guess,"he said, "that it's because you're the most amazing girl ever. And I know that I'm gonna put you through so much over these next few months. So..."

His response was cut off by a passionate kiss from Brooke. She looked him in the eyes, and ran her hands over his muscular back, wondering how she got so lucky to have a guy like him in her life. And then tears came to get eyes,as she remembered that he wouldn't be in her life for much longer because of his deployment. Lucas wiped her tears away, and as he did, she again wondered how in earth she had been so lucky to get a guy like him.

Lucas looked at her, and rubbed the back if his neck with his hand as he worried about her millionth time about how she was going to do without him at home. The visit with some people on the base would help, but still, he wondered. He worried. "Hey Brooke, I'm taking you and the gang down to Fort Marshall. Figure I'll let you meet some people, might help during my deployment. I've got a house down there to, assigned from the army, in case you ever need to be close to the base for anything. So, lets get ready. Want to take a shower?" he said, adding the last statement with a wink. Brookes smiled, and they both raced to the shower.

Two hours later, the entire crew with the exception of Lucas was knocked dead asleep in the Escalade. Lucas took a break from looking at the interstate, and smiled at the family and friends that he was lucky enough to be surrounded with. Now it was time to surround them with family and friends who could help them during his deployment. He pulled up to the fort checkpoint, showed them his pass, and drove in. Just for fun, on the way in, he yanked the wheel and quickly drove the car onto the median, waking everyone up and in the process freaking them all out. Lucas burst out laughing, as he got punches and things thrown at him from everyone else in the car. "THAT WASN'T FUNNY ASSHOLE!" Screamed Rachel. Lucas responded, "You're right Rachel." Everyone looked at him with compassion in their expressions, "IT WAS FUCKING HILARIOUS!" Lucas yelled. Everyone else loudly groaned, and again threw punches and various objects at Lucas, who continued to laugh his head off.

15 minutes later, they pulled into a parking lot in front of a place called the Hump Bar. Lucas motioned at them all to walk inside. They all walked in, and saw that the place was empty with the exception of a few people all sitting at some connected tables. Lucas spoke, "Guys, when I'm deployed, its gonna be extremely hard on y'all as well as me. So, I want you guys to get to know a few people that I'll be serving with as well as their families. The first family is the Moran's. Chase is a Delta Force Operator. His wife, Pamela, is a cop and career army wife. They have two kids, Katie and my namesake Lucas." The Moran's all waved hello, chase shook the groups hands, did a spec ops broshake with Lucas, as Pamela came and hugged everyone. "Alright," Lucas spoke up, "next family is the Burton's. Joan, one of my commanding officers in JOC, the Joint Operations Command, a lieutenant colonel to be exact, and her husband, Dr. Roland Burton, who's a shrink." They came around and shook hands with everyone. Lucas spoke, "The next family is the LeBlanc's. Trevor, a staff sergeant, and leader of one of my closest worked with squads. My squad and his quad work hand in hand all the time. His wife Roxy owns this bar, and their kids are TJ and Finn." Trevor shook hands, as Roxy came and gave hugs. "The next family," Lucas said, "is the Sherwood's. Denise is an EMS. Her husband, Frank, is also a lieutenant colonel. Their soon is Specialist Jeremy Sherwood." The family came around, shaking hands and giving hugs. "The final family," Lucas stated," is the Holden's. General Michael Holden is a Major General, head of the base, and one of the best damned people you will ever meet. Claudia Joy is an amazing wife, and head of the bases' F.R.G. And Emmalin is going to be playing D1 college hockey." The final family came around and gave the typical greetings. Lucas faced his friends, and spoke, "These people will be here for you. They'll help, they'll listen, and they are happy to do it. These next few months are gonna be hard, I'm not gonna lie. But these guys got your backs, cuse I got theirs. Come talk to them, they will help. I promise." Lucas looked around the room, and pulled all of his friends in tight. "guys," he said, "I'm gonna come back. I'll be the same Lucas you all know and love, and we're gonna pick up where we left off. Nothings gonna change our bond, ok? Nothing." He smiled at them all, and sent up a silent prayer that he would in fact live up to his promise. "Now," he said, "there's a church service at the base church tomorrow. And its a special deployment related sermon. So we're gonna go, ok? Cuse we all need as much prayer as we can get."

Everyone nodded their heads, and after they all said a prayer themselves, they all broke away to socialize with the various people in the bar. As he watched his old friends and family join his new friends and family, Lucas quickly realized how much he was about to sacrifice for someone elses family that he didn't know. He could only hope he would live up to his last promise that he made them. But he couldn't lie to himself. He knew that it was an empty promise, and that one day he would regret making it.


	6. help!

_**July 16th, 2014**_

Lucas woke up in the apartment the army had provided him. As he rolled over and looked at the clock, he groaned. It read 3:30 A.M. But, despite his multiple attempts, he hadn't been able to sleep that night. Nightmares and what ifs had kept him up, and despite knowing that he needed his sleep for when he met up with the rest of his squad at church in a few hours, Lucas couldn't make himself sleep. The nightmares were just to bad. He couldn't bring himself to subject himself to them. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and threw on his tan NWU from the day before. Grabbing his patrol cap, he walked out of the bedroom, out of the house, and out into the night. _"Who knows, maybe the night air will help calm me down. At least it might help me think." _As he walked around the base, trying to clear his head, he checked his phone. One missed call from General Holden. One message. Lucas pressed the play button. "Lucas, I know its 0300 hours, but I had to let you know. Several coups have taken place over there in the dead of night. Rocket attacks on Israel, our forces have seen a major spike in insurgent activity. Its a powder keg over the, and they just tossed a lighter in it. I'm recommending rapid deployment. And it's going to happen. Just thought you should know. We'll be at the airfield within the hour probably. Good luck son." The message beeped, and Lucas leaned on the railing on the dock, looking out over the crystal clear smooth as glass lake. Everything had just changed. He looked over at the other side of the dock and saw someone standing there. Specialist Jack Brewer, one of the guys in his squad. They had graduated SEAL School together, although They looked completely different. Jack had shoulder length brown hair that the army had told him to keep for special operations. Both teens were extremely muscular and had a cold dark look in their eyes.

Jack leaned over, looking out over the water, wondering how he was gonna tell his wife Kim that he was going to be deployed in a fee hours. He looked down, and twisted the ring on his finger, his mind wandering off to their honeymoon spent on Lake Martin, Alabama. The water skiing, the relaxation, the forgotten fact that he was going back to active deployment. He looked over, and saw his squad leader Sergeant Lucas Scott standing there. Jack immediately snapped up to a tired attention for his somewhat superior. Lucas tiredly waved him back to where he was and leaned on the railing near hack, both gazing out onto the water. Lucas spoke, "Deployment's a bitch isn't she?" Jack nodded thoughtfully,and stared out into the night sky. When the sun rose in a few hours, he'd be thousands if miles away. No layovers on the flight, refuel in air. They were headed straight for Afghanistan. Jack thought deeply for a second, then said, "You know, when you're with your family on base, when all you do is hang out with them and work the navy's version of a 9 to 5, you know you're gonna get deployed at some point, but it doesn't seem real. Seems like it'll never happen. And it always hits you right before it happens. And you know something? I promised Kim I was gonna be ok, that I was gonna come home, but you know what? I don't think I can keep that promise man. I just don't."

Lucas stared out over the water, thinking, before he replied, "I feel the same way. I did the exact same thing, and I don't have the heart to tell Brooke either. I guess as army wives, they'll just have to accept the fact that we're not gonna ever be safe on deployment." Lucas got quiet, and looked over at Jack. He hesitated a minute before saying, "No matter how many times we tell ourselves, nothings gonna change. We'll always be the ones in danger. We'll be the stats on CNN. And we are never gonna be able to explain that to those who aren't out there with us."

Jack rubbed the ring on his finger, and looked out once more as the early morning mist rose up off the lake. "You know, when you join the rangers, they say, 'You're joining the elite of the Navy. You're the elite of special forces. Hell, you're the elite of the entire goddamned military.' They never tell you the sacrifices that come with it though." Both stood there, each pondering their actions, wondering if they had done the right thing for them and their families. They had, and they both knew it, but they still struggled with leaving their families behind. They stood in silence for a while, before they bid each other goodbye and walked off to their respective homes, each wondering how they would break the news to their wife and girlfriend.

As Lucas walked home, he saw lights begin to come on in houses. The news was getting out to the soldiers. He sighed, and realized that Fort Marshall would soon be empty, all of the spec ops deployed. He thought about the hump bar, and how the women all said they met there to talk and support each other. He thought about the many men who would soon be a fake a world away from their homes. And he thought about how he wad leaving the love of his life, Brooke Davis, behind. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he walked, as he saw men giving their hugs and kisses to their wives and kids. For some, he knew, it would be the last time they saw them. Lucas slowly began to admit to himself, that it might be him who punches a one way ticket over there.

Finally, he arrived at the house he had been assigned. All the lights were off. The commotion had yet to hit his friends. But he knew, it was time to face the music. He opened the door, and walked inside to find the television on, and all of his friends and family glued to the screen, as FOX news played. They didn't even notice his entrance. He quietly shut the door, and began to watch the news anchor, "...as the situation in the middle east has worsened, we stood by, continuing to pull out troops and let the countries try to stabilize themselves. This recipe for disaster was brought to a head tonight, as Al-Qaeda coordinated with the Taliban and various militaries to begin coups in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria, Somalia, and Tajikistan. The office of the President, as well as all branches of the military have not only confirmed these chains of events, but have also confirmed one of the most massive deployment orders in military history. Of the 9 million soldiers on active duty, over 6.5 million have been ordered to deploy to these various nations, as the United States prepares to indirectly combat Russia in this region by keeping the peace. If the U.S. Wasn't planning on being there anymore for the long-term, then these events have massively changed our foreign policy. For more updates,..."

Brooke turned around, and saw him standing there. She immediately jumped up and rushed over to him, wrapping herself in his arms, nuzzling her head in his neck. Quietly, slowly, she whispered put, "What's happening Lucas?" Lucas held her close for a minute, not wanting to move, but remembering that he was on the clock. "Sit down Brooke," he said,"all of you, take a seat." Everyone sat, and when he swallowed back the growing lump in his throat, he began to explain.

Jack slowly pulled his truck into the driveway, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and sat there for a minute, still not knowing hoe to tell Kim. Finally, after a few minutes, he gathered up his courage and walked into his house. There, he found Kim glued to the TV, with FOX news playing. She turned around, and saw him. She immediately rushes into his arms. They just stood there for a minute, holding each other. Neither spoke. Neither needed to, as they both knew what was coming up. Jack broke the embrace, put his hand under Kim's chin, and gently lifted her head up. "I'm coming back Kim." he said quietly. She nodded her head, and blinked back tears. Jack looked into her eyes, and kissed her one last time. Then he grabbed his go bag, and forced himself to walk away from all he had ever known.

Claudia Joy Holden wrapped her arms around her husband General Michael Holden, and gently kissed him on the lips, as she prepared to watch her husband leave for Naples Italy for a meeting. He wasn't deploying, but she knew that he very possibly could after the meeting. General Holden smiled at her one last time, then turned around and walked out the door.

Denise Sherwood kissed her husband goodbye, as they exchanged letters, their tradition for when Major Frank Sherwood was deployed. They smiled at each other, then looked over to their son, Specialist Jeremy Sherwood, who had his go bag on his back, ready to deploy. The family all embraced, and looked at each other with love and fear in their eyes and hearts. Father and son each embraced Denise one last time, then walked out of the door.

Pamela Moran woke up to a ringing on her cell phone. She looked at the mailbox, and saw that she had missed about 20 calls. She rolled over to find an all too familiar sight. An empty bed. Chase had left, as usual, during the dead of night without a whim or a trace. Such was the way of delta operators. Sighing, she rolled over, and tried to sleep in the warmness he had left for one last time.

Roxy LeBlanc gave one final kiss to her husband Staff Sergeant Trevor LeBlanc. He had just hugged the boys, who were still asleep, kissed their foreheads, and promised their sleeping forms that he would be coming back. Roxy looked him dead in the eye, made him promise to keep safe, and then hugged him and kissed him for one last time. Trevor sadly began tearing up, and walked out of his home one final time.

Troy grabbed his go bag, and looked over at Gabriella Montez, who was crying her eyes out on the couch. He gently picked her up and kissed her. He held her close to his chest, and let her cry her eyes out onto his chest and shoulder. Eventually, her sobs ceased, and Troy did the hardest thing he had ever tried to do. He grabbed his bag, kissed Gabriella one last time, and walked away.

Matt Clayton looked at the picture of him and his squad as he waited for Elizabeth Jones Clayton, his wife, to finish packing his equipment. It was a tradition they had started on his second deployment. He was about to start his sixth. He signed, realizing he was about to take Lucas and Jack, both newbies, out into combat. At least he had Troy by his side. He and Troy were both 24, and both had five tours to their credit. Troy had been his second hand man every time. And now it was their time to lead their newbies into the lion's den. His thoughts were interrupted by Elizabeth bringing his bag into the living room. She gave him a teary eyed smile before she rushed into his arms. Matt captured her lips in a kiss, before he picked her up bridal style and carried her into their bedroom. He laid her in bed, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead one last time. "come back to me, ok?" Elizabeth said as he walked out of their bedroom door. "You know I will... I love you baby." Matt said as he turned away so Elizabeth wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes. But, he knew the effort was futile. So he turned, and got one last look at the love of his life before he turned around and walked out of his house one last time.

Jacob Black rolled out of bed and stretched as he awoke, annoyed at the constant phone ringing that hadn't stopped over the past ten minutes. He kissed his sleeping fiancee Jane Foster before taking the call. "This is Black." It was Lucas on the other line. "Brother, you need to get down here now. We just got moved up. We're deploying right now." "What?" "We are deploying. Right now. They need us at one of the FOB's in Afghanistan. Get your ass to the airfield now." "Yessir. On the way." He closed the call and sighed, before turning to see an awake Jane sitting up looking at him. "It's happening...isn't it?" Jacob nodded before giving her a quick kiss. "Love you babe. And I'm sorry." "Don't apologize. Just come home safe."

Cody Martin and Zack Martin were both wakened at the same time by the ringing of their cell phones. The two twins listened to the call intently, their expressions mirroring the other. They both hung up at the same time and went immediately to their closets in the room that they shared in the bases single quarters to grab their go bags. Austin Moon and Percy Jackson jogged into the room wearing only shorts, both clearly having just woken up. "You hear the news?" Percy asked. The twins nodded as they grabbed their go bags and began to pull on their tan NWU's. "Better get dressed. Sounds like they might leave our asses if we don't hurry the hell up." Cody said. "Roger that." The two men responded, before heading back to their rooms.

Charlie had been awake, thinking about the girl that he had met at the last concert, a major country singer by the name of Juliette Barnes. He had finally worked up the courage to call her and was dialing the number when the call came in from the base. "Go for Baker." "Get to the airstrip. Your team has been activated." The call ended and Charlie sighed, running his hands through his hair before walking over to wake up Nick. "Nick, get up. We just got activated bro." Nick stretched, but was instantly attentive when Charlie said that. "We're deploying?" "Right fucking now." "Anyone told my brothers?" "Negative. You on that?" "Yes." Nick rushed out to tell his brothers while Charlie grabbed his go bag and shrugged his tan NWU's on, all while looking at Juliette's contact in his phone. Sighing, he exited out and turned it off, before walking down the hall to wake up the rest of the team members.

Brooks Wentworth and Ryan McCartan were woken up by Charlie, who burst into the room and told them, "Get your go bags and NWU's on. We've been deployed." The two men were groggy, but as soon as they heard the word "deployed," they were up like shots and throwing their clothes on. "Fuck fuck fuck." Ryan muttered. "What is it?" Brooks asked. "I unloaded my fucking go bag to wash it out. Gotta repack my shit." "Make it quick bro. I'll go wake up the other guys while you pack up. Don't forget anything." "Roger that."

Kellan Lutz woke up when he heard banging in the room next door. He frowned, pulling up his sweatpants as he got out of the bed and walked out into the hall shirtless. "The fuck is going-" His roommate Will Cloud bumped into him, rushing from down the hall in the same attire as Kellan, before interrupting him. "Get your go bag brother. We're deploying now." "Now?" "Right the fuck now." Kellan rushed inside and grabbed his go bag. "Anyone gotten PJ or Chad?" He yelled at Will. "I did. And Justin and Spencer." "Good. How fast we going?" "The bus taking us to the airstrip leaves in 10."

James Diamond rushed back to his and Kendalls' room, banging on the door of Carlos and Logan's apartment and screaming at them to get up first. He rushed in and yelled, "We're getting deployed. Get your ass up and grab your go bag. Our transport to the airstrip leaves in five." "Got it." He went to the neighboring room with his other best friends and repeated the same process, before throwing his clothes on and grabbing his go bag, before running out of the door with his best friends.

The men all ran onto the bus quickly. Kellan began to organize them and check to make sure they were all there and had their stuff, as he was the man with the most experience in the group, having completed five tours. All were accounted for, and no sooner had he slapped the bus driver to signal they were good than was he thrown towards the back by the bus driver, who yanked it onto the road at a frantic speed. Charlie, sitting next to Kellan, sighed as he looked on his phone at the picture he and Juliette had taken. "Get your mind on the mission brother." "Sir?" "Mind on the mission. I wouldn't be focused on a girl right now. Trust me, been there, done that." "Yessir."

The squad met up at the base flight line as they waited for the C-130 that would take them to Afghanistan. Everyone was silent, simply giving the spec ops handshake to each other before lapsing into silence as they each thought about their families. The C-130 pulled up in front of them, and lowered the back so that the squad,along with the hundred others that would be flying out with them, could enter the plane. The squad walked into the back of the plane and took their seats, each silently wondering the same question as they looked out of the open back. _"will I ever see my home and loved ones again?"_ Each man knew what was at stake in the world if they failed. But each man knew that they had a family to come home to. All men sat in the back, praying that they would be able to see beautiful South Carolina again, and come home to the families that resided in it.

Jack pulled out a photo of him and Kim with their friends Rudy, Jerry, Milton, and Eddie all in the dojo together. He sighed to himself. _"Everything was so much simpler then. No wars, no fights, no world, just Rudy our sensei and us learning from him. School, karate, football, and hanging out. That was our life. No deployments. No coups. No world. Just us. And to think...we were all so ready to grow up."_

Troy looked at the photo of him, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Zeke, Jason, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, and Mrs. Darbus. He remembered the day that he graduated. The day they took that photo, so many years ago. They had all been so innocent. So young. They didn't know what would lie ahead of them in the world. He remembered that day, when he got onstage to give his speech, to accept his diploma. He remembered them announcing he was attending UCLA for basketball. And he remembered taking the microphone. _"Guys, I'm not going to UCLA." The student body gasped, all the seniors wondering what was happening. Wasn't this Troy's dream? "Instead," he continued, "I'm enlisting. I've got a responsibility, and I need to quit being a kid. It's time for me to become an adult, and that means doing what you are called to do. This is what I was called to do. And I knocked out SEAL school two summers ago. I'll be deploying in a month. Thank you all for everything you've done for me. Maybe, just maybe, one day I'll be lucky enough to return the favor." Troy Bolton walked off the stage, and was stunned when the seniors and ceremony attendees alike rose and gave him a standing ovation.___That, Troy had to admit to himself, he hadn't expected. It was insane, to think that only six years ago all he had been been worried about was prom and basketball. He hadn't been worried about being shot. Not coming home to his family. It wasn't right for a young adult to have to worry about that. And with that thought weighing on his mind, he went back to looking through the photo album of his high school days, his friends, and his family.And then that dark thought came again. _"The friends and family you might not get back to."_

Matt looked at the picture of CeCe, and wondered if it were worth it anymore. He loved the army, and he loved his job, but six tours? That had to be getting to be to much. He needed to start thinking about CeCe. But how would he get out? How could he? Troubled, he kissed the picture of CeCe and tried to sleep.

Lucas pulled the picture of him, Brooke, and the rest of the crew at the beach. The picture they had taken only three or four days ago. His friends. His family. They all looked so peaceful, none caring about a war half a world away. He loved them, and they loved him. They were his rock. And he was leaving them. He knew who he was fighting for. He was fighting for his family. _"The family you might not see again." _Lucas sighed, trying to ignore the thoughts, laid his head back, and tried to go to sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

Lucas woke up, tired as usual. The daily drag of being a soldier in Afghanistan included such lovely things as waking up at 0500, not going asleep till 0100, missions around the clock, and the never ending gunfire and explosions in the distance. _"All in all, a pretty terrible fucking situation. Why on earth did I sign up for this?" _Lucas asked himself as he walked out of his tent into the early morning dawn. One thing he did love about the place was the sunrise. The brilliant colors streaking across the early morning sky, it was truly something that you didn't see in the states. It was beautiful. But then the sun came out, and everything went back to being hell. _"I wonder what Brooke is doing right now..."_

Brooke walked into her house, sighed, tossed her bag on the floor, and then just stared at the wall. And then, out of nowhere, she screamed. A long painful wail that brought out all the pain and hurt she was keeping bottled up. At school that day, as every day, she had seen all her friends, except the one that she most desperately needed. All of her pain was rising up inside of her chest. That day was just the normal grind though. Every day, her heart was ripped in two every time she walked past the locker than Lucas Scott had used. And everyday, she walked into classes, and saw the empty seat that he once occupied tore her apart. She felt like a part if her was the one being shot at every day. As if she were dying with every mile that Lucas walked on the mountainous Afghan terrain. She threw herself onto her bed, tears streaming down her face. And again, she screamed.

Kim walked into her house and slammed the door closed. She looked around, made sure no one was there, and then screamed. A long painful wail joined by a flood of tears streaming down the sides of her cheeks. She missed Jack so much. Her friends at the dojo, along with all the army wives tried to help, but it was no use. Nobody could help her. She had a hole in her heart that could only be filled by a tall long haired handsome brunette that was thousands of miles, an ocean, and many more countries away. A man that she knew was too young for this line of work. But yet, he still insisted that he keep fighting, that he head over to try and help out countries of people that had attacked their home. It just didn't make sense to her. She slammed her fist against her wall as she wailed for her boyfriend, the boy that she knew completed her. The boy that she knew could be taken from her in a single instant. _"Everything. It's all falling apart."_

Jack yawned, and turned over in his hammock, before a mortar explosion woke him up somewhat. It had turned into his alarm clock, the explosions. Apparently, the Taliban didn't have the decency to wait until everyone was awake before they started their attacks. Jack sighed, ran his hands through his extremely long hair, grabbed his helmet and MOLLE vest, along with his M4, and stepped out into the brilliant sunrise. Soldiers ran everywhere, but here in the Force Recon area of the ranger battalions tents, they were all cool. He spotted Lucas, and walked over to his side, where they stood and looked out on the landscape, as well as the bright red sunrise. Jack spoke, "Early start, huh brother?" "Morning brother," Lucas responded, throwing Jack a glance before looking out again, "Sleep well?" Jack shrugged, before responding, "Damned Taliban mortars are like my mom. They never give me five more minutes." The teens both burst out laughing, before they straightened up as a captain walked by. They came to attention quickly, snapping a salute that was quickly returned before the senior officer walked away. And again, both burst out laughing at the first funny thing either of them had heard in a while.

Hours later, Lucas sighed, as he slowly walked along the mountainous roads leading up to the village of Loy Manara. He and his squad continued to walk up, searching for, well, anything. Taliban soldiers, weapons, IED's, any sort of sign or clue that could show them where the attacks had been coming from. All the month, Taliban fighters had been striking with increasingly coordinated and violent attacks against the soldiers. And in the infinite wisdom of the army running the JOC, they had stuck SEAL's, tier one operators, out in the wide open, searching for top end Taliban targets. "Oh joy of joys," he spoke out loud. "What's up Lucas? You all good brother?" Jack spoke up. Lucas looked over at him, and rolled his eyes, and spoke, "Bro, we are in the middle of a fucking war in this god forsaken hell hole, do you think I'm all good?" He finished with a yell. The squad just looked at him. Lucas sighed, _"Damn Brooke, I need you. I need you here to calm me down, to help me get through the day. I need your loving embrace. I need your shoulder to cry on. I just need you._ Sorry guys, just stressed. Forget about it, let's head back to patrol." They hadn't gone ten feet when gunfire exploded from all around the buildings along the road. "TAKE COVER!" Lucas screamed. He took off for a rock about ten feet away when an RPG blew up right behind him, picking him up and throwing him right into the cover he was running for. He desperately yanked his M4 rifle up and started firing at the flashes of light he saw. His quick estimate was over twenty men attacking their position. They had been maneuvered into a pinpoint perfect ambush. Bullets zipped over his head as he returned fire to wherever it was coming from. Taliban fighters began to slowly move in when all of a sudden fire ceased. "Dude...what the fuck is going on?" Whispered Jack as Lucas carefully brought his head up to survey the scene. Nothing. Not a soul was visible.

Jack quickly whipped his M4 around to aim at anything that even seemed to move. Jumpy was an understatement. Despite having been in theatre for a month, every time they were in a fight, the ensuing effect was jumpiness and fear. Nothing was for certain. Nothing was safe. "Lucas...where the fuck are they?" Jack whispered quickly. "No fucking idea man. They just disappeared. They're gone. Like ghosts." Whispered back Lucas. They both slowly and hesitantly stood up, using hand signals to indicate that the squad was moving out. And slowly, in the brilliant orange glow of the rising sun, the SEAL's were officially given the Afghani good morning welcome.

Chief Petty Officer Matt Clayton held onto the edge of the UH-1H huey with one hand, his rifle hanging in his other, one foot on the skids, the other hanging out over the edge. Translation, he looked like a total Vietnam War Era bad ass. He looked to his side as the chopper began to descend, and saw his right hand man Chief Petty Officer Troy Bolton doing the same thing. He shook his head, laughing at the two of them. He looked up to see Troy cracking up with him. The bond they shared had been forged in combat, but it had turned into so much more than that. They were now brothers.

The chopper descended down to the camp, where he saw Lucas's squad come in, looking exhausted and worn-out. Sighing, Matt jumped off the chopper right before it hit the ground so he could go check on his comrades. "Hey brother, you guys alright?" He yelled at then from a ways away. Lucas turned towards him, looking even more exhausted than his men. "What's wrong brother?" He asked when he got closer to Lucas. Lucas sighed, then spoke, "Brian from team 3 got shot. He didn't make it." "Fuck man," said Matt, feeling tears starting to come out his eyes,"That really sucks brother. I'm so sorry." The silence lasted for a few minutes, with both soldiers just silently letting their tears fall. Anytime one of their soldiers were killed, it was a deep and harrowing experience. They had forged a bond, and it was yanked away in a split second. It was horrible.

"When's the funeral?" Troy asked as he walked over to the two of them. "We have our service tomorrow, the family has theirs scheduled for friday. Three days. The body goes off tonight. " Lucas answered him. Troy shuddered at the thought of the wives when they found out. It wasn't going to be pretty.

At the end of the day, Lucas sat down to call his girlfriend on his phone. "Hey babe." He spoke when she picked up. "Hey Luke, how are you doing?" "It's been a little bit rough today. But, I'm doing alright. Tell me about you. How are you doing? How is the family?" "They're doing alright. This is still really hard on them. And having FOX and CNN on all day doesn't help that much either. But we're all pushing through for you. School is the same old same old. But we're working in military care packages for you and the guys. And it's spread around town to alot if churches and community groups to. We've gotten thousands! So that's going really well. And Whitey is out of the hospital, from his little heart episode. Said he'll be damn ed if that'll keep him from coaching." The last statement finished with laughs from both Lucas and Brooke. "I miss him. A lot." "I know you do. Are you sure you're okay Lucas? You sound really out of it. What's wrong? Talk to me baby." Lucas sighed again, looked up at the sky, and spoke, "Brian Robinson was killed today." Lucas felt sobs begin to come up. "And the worse part is, I can't do anything about it, I can't fix it, and it's going to keep happening. And it's tearing me up inside." Lucas finished his last sentence in sobs with tears racing down his cheeks. "Shhhhhh, baby calm down. It's okay. It's gonna be alright baby." Soothed Brooke as she herself fought back tears. Mia Robinson, Brian's younger sister, was a good friend of hers. They had all known each other since kindergarten. And all of a sudden, right out of nowhere, he was gone. And he left behind a sister with no parents and no other family. _"This is so fucked up."_ She thought to herself. "So what's the Navy gonna do?" "Hell if I know. We're not even sure who exactly did it. We're just trying to work through what's happening now." The sound of gunfire and explosions slammed into Brookes ear. "...Fuck man, I got you Troy! Get everyone out of here! NOW DAMMIT! AND GET AIR SUPPORT ON THE HORN ASAP! Listen babe, I gotta go. Taliban just directly attacked our camp." Lucas hung up the phone before Brooke even got to say anything. Brooke stared at the wall, and again began to scream.

Lucas ran out of his tent with his rifle, trying to direct men to get in defensive positions. Mortars began to rain down on the camp, lighting up the dark of the night. He ran over to Kellan, who was tending to a fallen man. "KELLAN, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Kellan looked up and yanked Lucas down to the ground. "THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE! THIS MARINE GOT HIT. HIS MARSOC TEAM WAS JUST COMING BACK IN WHEN THE GUNFIRE STARTED HE'S BEEN HIT IN THE LEG. I'VE GOT TO FIND THE ARTERY, OK? I NEED YOU TO GRAB HIM AND HOLD HIM DOWN! WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO SEDATE HIM!" Lucas nodded and slammed his hands onto the Marines shoulders. Kellan took a deep breath, and then stuck his hand in the gaping hole in the Marines leg. The scream that came from the Marine was agonizing, and soon Lucas felt himself feeling lightheaded as all of the blood began to seep out of the leg. And then all of a sudden, another mortar slammed into the ground near them, picking up Lucas and Kellan and slamming them against some boxes, knocking them out cold.

At about 2 in the morning, the attacks finally stopped. Around this time, Lucas finally woke up to find himself still in full battle gear, and silence. He looked over to see Kellan pulling a sheet over the body of the Marine. Lucas slowly got up and unsteadily walked back to his tent, before collapsing on his bed in full battle gear. He sighed to himself, really wishing he was with Brooke.

It was the middle of school, and Brooke once again stared at the empty desk formerly occupied by Lucas Scott. And once again, she felt tears began to fall. It was terrible. She didn't even know if the most important person in her life was alive at the present moment. Groaning silently in her head, she turned back to school and fake reality.

Matt Clayton smiled at a picture of Elizabeth and kissed it before putting it into his Kevlar vest pocket and laying down his head to go to sleep. He felt peace. Something truly hard to come by those days.

Elizabeth Jones Clayton finished making the brownies, preparing to have over some of the other wives. She knew that it was in their best interest to fill up their time. Otherwise, the not knowing would kill them. Just like it was killing her.

Troy and Gabriella finished talking on the phone about the high school reunion. His best friends all were dying to see him. And he was gonna have to miss. Again. _"Deployments a bitch." _And he put his head down and went back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I've really enjoyed writing this story. For these next few chapters, if you want an idea of what the combat scenes look like, it's scenes from "We Were Soldiers" with modern army rangers camouflage and battle gear. Also, I know the terminology is confusing, but I've tried to include full names so you can search it on the internet. I am a bit of a military buff, so if anything confuses you, let me know! Additionally, I'm working on more movies and video games and books to base scenes off of, so you can have a little reference and/or visualization of what is going on. Black Hawk Down is also great, that'll probably be in here somewhere. Also, your reviews and pm's are very much appreciated! Thanks for reading!_

_**June 30th, 2014**_

"Attention!" The sergeant at arms yelled out. The entire 75th Ranger Regiment stood to attention at an instant, full battle gear, with M4's strapped across their chest. The Navy SEALS's joined them a little ways off to the side. They had been told to assemble in full battle gear at the front of the dirt helicopter landing pads. And that had been all. No other information. All of a sudden, Major General Michael Holden stepped up in front of the men. "At ease." The Regiment quickly went to at ease and prepared to hear out the general. "The men upstairs have been tracking the forces that attacked us. They have also been giving trouble to multiple other groups. They tracked the group to an Oasis Valley in North Pakistan. They have estimated enemy strength to be "manageable"." The general sighed, and continued. "Boys, this means that they have no idea. But be assured, they are well armed and we'll trained. Upstairs picked us to go. We'll be going by chopper with group intervals. Your officers have your group number. First group dust off in ten. Dismissed." And with that, he stepped off the landing pad, and the soldiers broke ranks.

Lucas walked off to check with Matt and Troy about which wave they were on. He was almost there when Troy lifted up his head. His eyes were moist and red, with little tears falling down his cheeks. He simply nodded. _"We're group one. We have to go first. Into The Lions den. Oh god." _Lucas turned around, and quickly walked to the ammo tent to load up. "Lucas! Lucas! Sgt. Lucas Scott!" Lucas turned around as he heard his name, and saw a dark haired man running towards him. "Sorry for yelling. Didn't want you to run off. My name is Julian Baker. I wanted to meet you. I'm Brooke Davis's cousin. She's told me alot about you. I wanted to meet you in person. I'm in a member of the SWCC. And I hope, since you apparently are quite the writer, that we could work together sometime. I happen to write a little bit in my spare time. Sound good?" Lucas shook his hand, looking him dead in the eye. "If I make it out of here alive, then you got yourself a deal Julian." "Also, I was hoping, uh, that you would get me on one of these choppers?" Lucas looked at him in startled confusion, and spoke, "Do you know what's gonna happen? What we're walking into? We're gonna ride into this oasis valley with the enemy scouts already having told them. They know we're comin. The vegetation, undergrowth, mountains, it all provided perfect cover. We'll land, with us not knowing their size or strength or tactics. They, on the other hand, will know ours. We will be sitting in the middle of a slaughter." Lucas sighed, and looked at the ground as he spoke again. "In fact Julian, I don't know if there will be many of us left to evac on those choppers you'll come on." "I'll go get my gun. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Matt quickly walked across the field to the ammo tent, grabbing every one of his men that he saw along the way. He got there, and just as he finished loading, he saw a shocking sight. "General Holden? What the hell are you doing sir?" The general was in full battle gear, M4, Kevlar, and all. "I'm going to go fight. No way I send you guys into a mess like this without me going with you. Besides, you're gonna need a strategist on the ground." "Sir, there's no fucking way we can let you do that. You're to valuable to us. And what about Emmalin? Claudia Joy?" "I'll be fine son. If commands gonna give us a mission like this, then the general is going to go in with his men. That's how I work. Now suit up son. We lift in 5."

Trevor LeBlanc stepped outside the ammo tent to call his wife. The call went through. "Roxy?" "Oh my god, Trevor. Are you doing ok? How is it? And talk fast, because I have to pickup TJ from football." "Just wanted to call you, hear your voice. Tell you that I love you so much."

Roxy felt tears come into her eyes. She knew when soldiers started talking like this bad things began to happen. "Baby, what's going on? Talk to me Trevor." "Not sure if I'm gonna make it back babe. This mission, it's suicide." Roxy began to sob. "Baby, please don't leave me." She begged. "I love you babe. Be praying. Get everyone to pray. I've gotta go. Love you babe." "I love you to Trevor." As soon as he hung up, she began to call all of the other wives, telling them to meet her at the church.

Lucas walked to his squad to get ready. Truth be told, he had no idea what to do or say. He had never been in this situation before. And ironically, much of his squad had more experience than himself. Kelly Severide and Matt Casey, who both served together on the CFD while they weren't actively deployed, we're sitting together praying. Jack sat on a box, his M4 in hand, listening to music. _"Battle scars by Lupe Fiasco." _He mouthed to Lucas. Lucas nodded back, recognizing the song. He gathered up the squad, and simply nodded. He was to choked up to say anything.

Jack quickly snuck away to call his wife Kim. He dialed, and heard the ringtone. "Hello?" "Hey baby, it's me." "Oh my god Jack! Are you ok?" "I'm ok I guess. Just wanted to talk to you real quick. I miss you babe." "Miss you too Jack," Jack heard sniffles coming from across the line. "I keep waking up expecting you to be next to me like we were at the lake. But you're not there. You're gone. And I hate it." Jack sighed to himself, _"Why on earth did we have to get this mission on today of all days? I gotta tell her. It's only right. Right?" _"Babe, I love you. I'll always love you. Please know that." "Jack...you gotta talk to me. What on earth is going on?" "Nothing baby...i just wanted to tell you that." Kim began to tear up, her voice quivering. "Jack, please talk to me baby." She said to her husband. "Listen baby, I gotta go, I love you, ok? Always." "Always. I love you Jack." And Jack clicked the line off, hoping that it wasn't the last time.

Kim slid down the wall that was supporting her, her head in her hands. She couldn't hold back the sobs. She couldn't imagine life without Jack. She didn't want to.

Brooke sat, not moving, just staring at the phone. Haley, Nathan, and everyone else was there, all silently talking amongst themselves, wondering what was going to happen. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Haley quickly went to answer it. Brooke heard voices, but couldn't make out words. Finally, the group walked in. It was all of the army wives. Roxy stepped up and gave Brooke a long hug. "We couldn't let you go through this alone." "Thank you all so much. It's just so hard right now." Claudia Joy spoke up. "I know. Buy Michael and Frank and all of our contacts in HQ will be keeping us updated as much as they can. And they'll all be ok." And they all sat at the TV, where FOX continued to talk about the war.

_A/N: listen to Sgt. MacKenzie track from the movie We Were Soldiers. It sets the mood._

Lucasstared out, as thousands of soldiers gathered near the dirt landing pads to cheer on the Rangers. He heard the pilots go through the preflight checklist, the engines whine on, and the rotor slowly begin to turn. He felt the huey lift off the ground and begin the 30 minute ride to the LZ. _"So close now. So close." _Lucas laid his head back against the edge of the chopper, with his legs hanging out, and got one last combat nap.

Jack stayed quiet, not saying a word. On his right was none other than General Michael Holden. On his left was Lucas. He briefly took off his helmet, running his hands through his hair. Staring out, he began to wonder. _"What if I don't make it back?"_ "Easy son." Jack felt a tap on his shoulder and looked over to see the general. Talking to him? "Son, I was airborne. And ranger. Served seven combat deployments. Don't think about it. Don't worry about it. Just focus on the mission, and the brother by your side, and you'll do fine. Now, we got a few more minutes. Last peace and quiet we'll get for a while. Best use it." And with that, the general smiled, pulled his helmet down over his eyes, and grabbed some shut eye. Jack quickly followed.

Matt looked out of the chopper, and saw desert, desert, and more desert. The oasis they were going to would have every Taliban soldier coming there. And there were alot. He pulled out the picture of Elizabeth, kissed it, and slid it back into his vest. All that was left was to sit and wait.

Troy looked all around, watching the fifteen choppers fly in formation towards the target location. Funny, he hadn't ever thought about it before, but he had no idea what he was fighting for. No idea. _"Maybe it's about that time. Time to move on."_ Then he looked over at Matt, who was staring out across the desert. _"Not yet."_ He wasn't leaving till his brothers went.

Lucas looked out of the side of the chopper, his leg hanging out of the side, thinking about how this mission was about to rock his unit. No way they came out unscathed. He looked over at Matt and Kelly and Jack, and silently prepared for the worst. He looked out, and saw the landing zone, covered in smoke, come into view. It was quiet. To quiet. Then, all of a sudden, an RPG came out of nowhere and blew the chopper to his right to kingdom come. And so it began.

Jack watched an RPG fly inches over his head and through the chopper, as bullets began to fly all around. He looked and saw he general standing on the skids, one hand on the chopper to steady himself, the other holding his rifle. The pilot yelled over the radio, "ten seconds to touchdown!" Jack snapped a clip into his rifle, stood on the skids, waiting. The Seconds seemed like an eternity. And then the chopper touched down.

Matt's chopper touched down, and he immediately hopped off, running in a crouch, staying low as he and the several hundred other soldiers sprinted to the treeline. Trees and tall grass protected the soldiers from enemy sight. And next to a tree and huge boulder, he saw the general already setting up a command post with charts, maps, and care packages strong about for soldiers grabbing ammunition. The place was already organized, with squads running to the tables, getting fully geared up, getting their assignments, and heading out. But it was by no means safe. Bullets slipped through all around, one hitting a lieutenant in the back of the head knocking his dead body foward onto Matt, which threw Matt to the ground. "Die American!" Matt yanked his head to see a Taliban soldier charging at him with a knife. Without thinking, Matt thew the dead body off of him, slid onto his hands in an almost pushup position, pushing back, kicking as he did so. He felt the soldier fall back. Matt whipped out his knife, stabbing the soldier in the neck. "Fucking Haji." Lucas ran up to him. They touched knuckles. "Just another day at the office you lucky fucker." Lucas said. "Damned straight. Welcome back to hell brother."


	9. Chapter 8

Lucas took off with his squad trailing him, heading for the northern side of the perimeter, which was being hit hardest. They got their, taking cover behind a dirt mound that stretched the edge of the treeline. In front of that, a empty creek bed and another treeline from which Taliban firing was pouring. _"Brooke would kill me if she knew how bad I'm in it."_ He thought to himself. Gunfire took out a branch above him, forcing him down to the ground. It saved his life. A moment later, Lucas felt and heard a sniper bullet whiz past where his head had been. "More close calls. I'm a lucky man." Kelly Severide yelled out at him, "You lucky son of a bitch." "Roger that Kelly." He responded. Kelly nodded before yanking up his rifle to take down another Taliban soldier that had run up and over the embankment. An RPG flew over their head, exploding behind them. Lucas turned his head around, and the world seemed to go into slow motion. Jordan James, a specialist in another company, was there. But it was just his body. His legs were laying right next to Lucas'. Lucas immediately took off for Jordan, ignoring the fire. "My legs, my legs! My fucking god, my legs! Lucas, I'm gonna die without any fucking legs!" He was going into shock. "Hey buddy, stay with me. We're getting you help. MEDIC! SOMEBODY GET ME A MEDIC!" The medic ran over, took one look, and shook his head. Lucas grabbed his arm. "I need this man to get some help. He needs to get home." The medic stared Lucas straight in the face. "Lucas, you've been here for a while. This ain't your first week. You know he's gone." The medic rushed off to help others that had been hit, leaving Lucas to deal with the dying Jordan. "Lucas, promise me something." "Anything buddy." He pulled out a photo from his vest. "Promise me you'll help Quinn. Help her..." He began to cough up blood, and his eyes went blank. And just like that, a soldier was gone. And it changed lives all around his forever.

Jack squeezed off some more rounds, hit empty, and switched out his mags. The roar around him was deafening. He felt a thud next to him, and saw Lucas, with blood all over him. Jack turned his head, and saw the body of Specialist Jordan James being put into a body bag. _"Only on the ground for minutes, and already have KIA's. This is going to be a long fucking fight."_ Jack turned when he heard a yell, just in time to see a Taliban fighter jump in the air, knife overhead. Jack fell back as the warrior fell on top of him, grabbing his own knife, and stabbing the blade deep into the neck of the soldier. The blood flew out onto him, getting on his face, vest, everywhere. Jack just shoved to soldier off of him, got up, and went back to his spot. _"Am I that bad? Have I gotten this robotic and thoughtless, that I can just take a human life without thinking about it?"_

Troy watched a man charge towards him, AK-47 in hand, pulling the trigger. Troy calmly shot him. Calmly. Troy, like most veteran soldiers, had grown to love the fighting. It was a defining part of who he was. By this point, he and Matt had turned off their minds. They simply stopped letting all the horrible images they saw get through to them. But it came at a cost. The war had changed the men. Their wives and family could tell that first hand. But they all wondered, "why? Why do they change like this? What causes it?" And it was this, the killing, that changed them. "All the soldiers," Troy reflected, "want to do this. They wanna fight, protect their country, fight for the brother next to them. But all this killing, even if it is for a good cause, gets to you. It changes you. Sure as hell changed me." Troy was forced to shake off the thought, as he watched a bullet go through the head the man next to him. Troy sighed, felt tears come into his eyes, and cursed the fact that the war made a man fight with his dead comrade lying on the ground next to him. Troy looked, and he knew that the vision would haunt him forever. Because the nineteen year old next to him, didn't have a back to his head anymore.

Matt rushed up to the General, who was alternating between giving orders and pulling the trigger at random Hajis that managed to get through the line. True bad ass. "Sir, we're taking an ass kicking all around, low on ammo, but holding the line! What do you want us to do?" He shouted over the roar of gunfire and explosions. "Keep your men in place, and start calling in airstrikes. Napalm to smoke em out. And keep your heads down, we have to many casualties already!" General Michael Holden shouted back. Matt nodded, saluted, and took off to rearm and help get the wounded onto the choppers. He rushed over, put as many clips into his vest as he could, and rushed to help put wounded on board before he went back to the line. He saw Private Ty Collins (A/N: from tv show 90210 season 1) be put on, a bullet having gone through his shoulder. Matt and some other soldiers picked up a man on a tarp, who had multiple gunshot wounds. They tried to load him on, but the pilot, snakeshit, an old friend of Matts, shook his head and yelled, "No more room!" Ty Collins immediately jumped off, yelling, "I'm not hurt as bad as he is! I can still fight!" Matt loaded the soldier onto the empty spot, and turned patting Ty on the uninjured shoulder, jogging to the side of the cockpit to talk to snakeshit. Ty yelled at the soldier, "stay safe, you lucky ass-" Matt heard the multiple zings whistle by his ear, and he heard the impact. He turned, seeing Ty with a shocked look on his face, and multiple holes on his torso. He fell forward, onto the chopper, blood rushing from the wounds, as an injured man held him as the chopper lifted quickly back into the sky. He prayed that Ty made it, but he saw where Ty was hit. He knew that there was no hope.

Matt came on the squad radio, "Ty Collins? The rich guy from Beverly Hills? He's gone." The transmission was cut off by a burst of gunfire from Matt's end. Jack sighed, and looked around. Several of those guys from Beverly Hills had come together, and they were all in the same company. He found Dixon Wilson, one of the Ty's best friends, lying on the ground, trying to call in airstrikes. Napalm blew up in front of them, and Jack threw himself to the ground to avoid the blast of heat. (A/N: these guys are from 90210 season 1). He grabbed Dixon's shoulder, and shouted, "Where's Ethan?" "Next to me. Ethan, get up!" Cpl. Ethan Ward lifted his head, and they both looked at Jack, expecting an explanation. He sighed, and broke the news, "Ty's gone. Took a bunch of rounds to the chest while letting a guy take his place on a MEDEVAC. They're flying his body out." All three had tears in their eyes. Emotions were never lost on soldiers in battle. Ethan pulled out a picture of a beautiful Brunette, kissed it, and smiled before putting it up, simultaneously ducking his head as .50 caliber rounds flew over his head. "How's Annie?" "Great man. Pregnant. I'm gonna have a son. That is, if I make it out of here. " "Don't think like that dude. We're all gonna get outta here." Jack tried to reassure him. Ethan looked up with a look on his face that every soldier had at this point. A drained look, void of emotion, only pain and suffering and loss. "Yeah. Ty said the same thing." And before Jack could respond, a AK round hit Ethan in the chest, knocking him away from the embankment.


	10. Chapter 9

Lucas had come to find Jack, and heard about Ty on the radio. He took off to find Jack talking to Wilson and Ward, when he saw the bullets hit Ward in the chest. He saw Ethan's head snap back as he fell backwards, stumbling, before he fell on his back. "JACK!" He screamed as he tried to put a bandage from his med kit on the wound closest to his heart. Jack was already kneeling next to him, and Lucas was right there in a second. He spoke, trying to soothe Cpl. Ethan Ward as they put pressure on his chest wounds. "Alright, stay with me buddy. You're gonna be ok. Keep calling buddy. Just think about Annie." He grabbed Lucas's arm, and looked up. "Lucas," He spoke, coughing blood,"if I don't make it, promise me, PROMISE ME, that you or Matt or Troy will take care of my Annie. Promise me sir! PROMISE ME SIR!" He finished his statement screaming. Lucas nodded, and continued to apply pressure. He got on his squad radio, "Severide, Casey, get yalls asses over here stat. We gotta get Ward on the MEDEVAC now!" "Sir, that's a no can do. The Hajis, they have legit soldiers with them this time, and some serious firepower. They got through the middle of the line. You're cut off sir. Gonna have to find another way." Lucas cursed, and began to survey. Sure enough, he saw soldiers setting up a defensive perimeter behind him, and saw the muzzle flashes begin to surround them. "Fuck. FUCK!" "What is it?" Jack asked. "We're fucking cut off. We're gonna have to fight our way to the LZ."

Jack felt his blood run cold. Fighting through an enemy that had surrounded you was Damned near impossible. "Any other options sir?" "Yeah." Lucas answered flatly. "Ward dies." "Understood sir. Dixon, get your ass over here! We need to move. NOW!"

Brooke sat in World Studies, her mind wandering, when all of a sudden, her teacher, Mr. Sullivant, a former marine, bellowed, "MISS DAVIS! CARE TO JOIN US?" She snapped her head back to the board, nodding. He grimaced, shook his head, and continued. "Now, the middle east is in a continuous state of conflict. Any insight as to why? Yes Nathan?" "Well, the difference between one another for one thing. Religion between the Christians and Jews from the muslims. And all the different sects and tribes fight amongst one another. There just isn't peace." "Good answer Nathan. Haley?" "Well, the other thing is continual intrusion from outsiders. Many outsiders over the centuries have tried to push in. And all have been fought out. Therefore, constant conflict has become a defining edge of their culture." "Great answer Haley. So, in this class, we try to take what we study, and practically apply that knowledge in our every day lives. So, instead of a test, we've been having discussion grades on this unit in the middle east. So, last question of the day, and last grade for this unit. Overall, everything that we've learned in this unit, what does this information constitute for our deployed soldiers?" There was silence in the room. And then a timid hand was raised. "Brooke?" "Well, as we all know, Lucas is deployed with some Navy SEAL's attached to the 75th Rangers Regiment. They are deployed in Afghanistan, and Lucas and I, we talk and Skype and message all the time. And we write letters about what we're feeling when we can't call. And...he's always talking about how it's never ending. Clear a village, there's a massacre by Taliban or ISIS soldiers days later. Help out some farmers or a hospital or something, the buildings and crops are burned and the people are tortured. The hearts and minds, he says, are almost impossible to win. The soldiers are never ending. Kill one, there's two to take his place. And it never stops. It's so demoralizing for the troops. And they can only do this for so long. I mean, it's not like it's just one country or a small region. They're doing this sort of thing in almost every country in the middle east, several in Africa, and the troops are seeing no results." "Very well thought out Brooke. Thank you for that." She nodded, and looked out of the window again. _"I wonder what Lucas and the boys are doing right now..."_

Lucas, Jack, Dixon, and some guy they pulled from the line carried Ethan on the stretcher. They made it through the line, and abruptly, the area over their heads became a firestorm. Tree branches fell down as they were severed by bullets racing through the forested area. Lucas spent the whole time praying for a miracle, that they could get back to the other side. And all of a sudden, they were there. They crossed between multiple machine gun nests and soldiers laying down, and the rate of fire seemed to drop a little. The pain and fatigue in his shoulder all of a sudden began to increase, but he pushed through, ignoring the pain, just wanting to get Ethan to the MEDEVAC.

Finally, they reached the MEDEVAC area. They saw Matt, who rushed over and helped behind Lucas. Jack sighed, and felt the fatigue in his shoulder. He shook it off, and they pushed foward to the edge of the chopper, and the huey took on its last passenger. Snakeshit signaled quickly, and the chopper lifted and headed for the FOB, with Ethan raising a hand as he flew away. Matt shook bus head and grunted in exhaustion. "Man, yall got through the line, carried him all the way here, and only with three people?" "Three people?" Jack asked. "What the fuck are you..." He looked around with Dixon and Lucas. "Where is that kid we came over with?" They took off running back the way they came, trying to find the man who sacrificed any bit of safety for a man who he didn't even know. They made it all the way to the line, and that was where they found him, lying in a bush, blood pouring out of his body. Holes riddled him. "The machine guns got him as we walked in." Jack said, numb. "Who was it?" Jack asked. They hadn't even looked at the man's face. Jack slowly, gently, turned the body over.

Troy walked up, and gasped. Frank Sherwoods son, Jeremy, was lying there. All the other soldiers turned their heads. He had a wife, Tanya, and a child, with another on the way. It was his last combat tour, and then he was supposed to be done. Troy felt a force stir within him, and felt the anger finally began to come loose.

Lucas walked back to the line, as the sun began to set. The brilliant Afghanistan sunset, a perfect mix of Orange and red and purple, was marred by the knowledge that there were alot of guys that wouldn't be able to see the beautiful sunset. He got back to the line, and dug in his foxhole. He pulled out his phone, and quickly began to fire off a heartfelt text to Brooke. He slid to the side as Jack walked up, and slid in. "You doing alright brother?" "I'm alright Luke. Just...exhausted. And I don't know what else I can do man. I'm just...I'm done." "Well, be careful about your head brother. We still have to last out the night..."

Kim woke up, and quickly got out of bed. She was expecting a call from Jack any moment now, even if it was five in the morning. But no call came. She began to take a shower, put out clothes, take care of her morning routine, but all with her phone right next to her, constantly being checked. She went out to do her morning jog before the day started, as she didn't go to school anymore, when she saw some spec ops on training run by with communications equipment. Curious, she altered her normal route and followed them in. She saw a clearing ahead, which she remembered housed an open amphitheater, and she stopped just shirt of the opening, staying behind the trees. She heard communications from somewhere come over the loudspeaker. "...Hurry the hell up! We have no fucking meds over here, they're pushing in on us to quick! GET US SOME FUCKING HELP!" "Easy, Trevor, calm down buddy, we're getting you the help as quick as we can. We're spread thin as fuck buddy. We'll get you something as quick as possible." The voices began to all run together, and all were overlapped by the sound of gunfire and explosions. "THEY'RE COMING! SWITCH ON TO NIGHT VISION, AND HURRY THE FUCK UP AND GET AIR SUPPORT ON THAT FUCKING MOUNTAIN. FUCK, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! FUCK FUCK FUCK, JACK! STAY WITH ME BUDDY..." The transmission cut off, and Kim sank down, sobbing, recognizing Luke's voice, and knowing that there could only be one Jack he was talking to.

Gabriella and all of the army wives found Kim, who was sobbing her eyes out. She knelt down, and hugged her, while motioning one of the wives to text Brooke, knowing that the two girls had become close friends. CeCe knelt down, and hugged her on the other side. And all of the wives listened for their husbands, and cried as they heard the conflict. And Gabriella and CeCe both wondered the same thing. _"When will out boys finally be done?"_


	11. Chapter 10

Brooke woke to the sound of her phone ringing. "Probably just Haley...again. I really need to get her to stop calling me this early in the morning to get up, I do just fine on my own." She thought all in a huff. She grabbed the phone, still in the back of her head annoyed Lucas hadn't called or texted. "Look Hales, I'm up..." "wrong person Brooke." Brooke immediately recognized the voice. "Pamela? Why on earth are you calling me this early in the morning?" "You need to get down to the base Brooke. Like right now." Brooke immediately recognized how serious she sounded, and began to pack her things for the short trip. She had learned almost immediately that if the army wives told her to do something, do it and don't question why. "But her tone..." She thought. "Pamela...what's wrong? Is everything ok?" Pamela sighed and spoke, "you just need to get down here Brooke." Brooke nodded to herself, and hit the end call button. She wrote a note to Peyton, grabbed her bag, and began to walk out of her room. She turned, and took one last long look at the picture Lucas had given her of the day he graduated, and at the one next to it of them in formal wear, with Lucas in his dress uniform. And the last one, one that he had sent her a few weeks after he got there, of him in the beautiful Afghanistan dawn, full coyote brown spec ops gear, with a Muslim shawl wrapped around his neck. Full gear loadout, his rifle hung across his chest as he knelt on one knee. The caption read "Just another day at work!" Brooke sent off a quick prayer, and wondered, "what on earth is he doing?..."

Lucas pulled Jack up, and quickly grabbed the med kit from Jacks bag. A bullet whistled over his head, and some leaves came down as it passed through the thin short tree grove that he and Jack had been moving through when the enemy launched one of their attacks. "MEDIC! SOMEBODY GET ME A FUCKING MEDIC!" He continued screaming, but the next wave of choppers flying in drowned out his voice. More bullets whistled over head, and this time, he saw they were from an American MEDEVAC chopper with field surgeons on them. "ALRIGHT JACK, STAY WITH ME BUDDY, I'M GONNA RUN AND GRAB THE DOC! STAY WITH ME BUDDY!" Jack nodded his head, and put a new clip in his rifle. Lucas gave him a look, and Jack smiled, and spoke weakly, "Get it done. You're a fucking frogman, hooah?" "Hooah." Lucas responded. They did their spec ops handshake, and Lucas took off for the doctor.

Jack dragged himself up to a sitting position, groaning and wincing as he did. "Feels like someone took a fucking sledgehammer to my chest multiple fucking times." He thought to himself. All of a sudden, he heard a deafening roar, and multiple whistles pierced the air. "Here the come. Again. Fuck, don't they ever get tired of this shit?" Jack brought up his rifle, wincing again, but held it steady. "Good training. Sound body, sound mind." And he saw the shadows moving, and he prepared to fire. "And now the fun begins." He said aloud, smiling to himself. He finally had something he could control. And the shadow finally got close enough, and Jack began to fire.

Lucas ran up to the chopper and grabbed a MEDEVAC surgeon, when he saw Julian jump out of the chopper, clutching a camera in one hand and a pistol in the other. He wore woodland camo pants with a tan long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows, while that was covered with a tan Kevlar vest. Lucas grabbed him and forced him down to a crouch, while motioning the medic to Jack. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DING HERE JULIAN?" "I'M A FUCKING SOLDIER. I'M TRAINED TO FIGHT. ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS ON THE GROUND. NOW WHERE IS THE GENERAL?" The choppers lifted, and the men returned to talking a little bit more normally, albeit still with raised voices, due to the commotion of the battle. "Command post." Julian turned to go, but Lucas grabbed his shirt, and balled it into a fist. "Julian...be safe." And with that, he patted him on the shoulder, pushed him towards the command post, and took off for where he had left Jack.

Jack pulled the trigger, and another Taliban soldier dropped. The ground in front of him was littered with the enemy, but they kept coming, and the loss of blood was beginning to get to him. And all of a sudden, it was over. The Taliban stopped coming, and the noise died down a little bit. Jack felt the adrenaline rush slow, and immediately, he fell over onto his side in the grass. "Brewer! Brewer! You gotta get up bud, c'mon bud, we gotta get you to the medical area, and we gotta do it now." Jack felt himself be pulled up, his arm put around the medic, who he recognized as a guy named Daren Albright. A Sergeant Major, he was a specialized field trauma medic, and had been serving with spec ops forces since right before 2007. He had seen and done it all. A true medic bad ass. And as Jack thought all of this, he smiled to himself. A good guy to put his life in the hands of. As Jack put his foot in front of the other, he began to realize they were walking across the open LZ, which was about 250 yards across. It was necessary to get across to the command post and medical area, but Jacks danger senses, which had proved accurate over the conflict, began to tingle. He began to get on edge, putting a next clip in his rifle, and checking the batteries in his NODS. "Daren...I don't like this man." "I don't either man, just keep calm. We're gonna make it across." Jacks danger senses began to grow even more, and as the sun quickly set, the tingling grew to a loud and deafening roar. "Daren, we need to get down. NOW." "Buddy, we're getting close. Just a hundred more yards." "Daren, they will get us, especially at night. We need to get down, NOW." "We're in the middle of a fucking LZ. We'll get hit by incoming choppers that are landing. We gotta make it to the other side. You need medical attention, and you need it now. Now walk Brewer. That's an order." "But..." "Shut it Brewer. We're getting to the medics. Now, shut up and walk." They walked faster, but with every step, the sky got darker, and Jacks senses went crazier. "Daren, look man,..." "Enough Brewer! There, the tree line is right-" A loud shot and a hiss as a bullet found its mark took the breath of Daren. And all of a sudden, again, the LZ and all surrounding areas in the battle became a firestorm. Jack felt Daren fall, and Jack, as weak as he was, had no choice but to fall with him. But the adrenaline was back. Jack quickly checked, and found multiple chest wounds on the medic. "Fuck man, you should've listened to me. Fuck you man. Now just stay with me you idiot. Shit, that's alot of blood. Stay with me Daren! We're gonna get you outta here buddy. Shit, we gotta get moving." He picked up Daren, putting him over his back like he was about to squat him, and he began to walk forward to the command post. He just kept putting one foot in front of the other, but he was growing weaker with every step. Finally, when his strength was spent, he looked up, and saw several medics looking at him. They had made it. "Help me-" was all he got out before he fell on the ground and collapsed into unconsciousness.

Troy put his NODS on, and began firing at the flashes of light. While the enemy was cunning, the one advantage the Americans did have was night vision. They could see the enemy better than the enemy could see them. But they were still vastly out numbered, outgunned, out maneuvered, and had hours upon hours of night to survive. And then Matt came on the radio, "Troy, they just told me they're ending flights for the night. No more in or out. They said the dark and the level of enemy firepower made it too dangerous. Said some shit about the enemy caught onto the flight path. Fucking desk jockeys grounded the pilots. Refused to let them lift off. It's fucking bull shit." "How the fuck we supposed to last all night with no ammo, no reinforcements, no fire missions, no MEDEVACS, no nothing? What the fuck is going through their heads?" Troy responded. "I don't know brother. But you better hope to dear god almighty he'll have some mercy. Cuse we're fucked otherwise." "Tell me about it. Take it easy on your end brother." "You too brother." The command ended with a click, and Troy settled in for a long night with the Hajis.

The transmission ended, and Matt sighed. He had been separated from his squad, it was night, and the army was sending no help. He settled in for a combat nap, his rifle at the ready. And he readied for what he knew would be one of the longest nights of his life.

Lucas settled into his foxhole, and settled in for a combat nap. Short, almost on the edge of consciousness, he could be awakened at a moments notice. He thought about the radio communique between Troy and Matt, and he thought about no backup. And while he knew the Americans were best fighters at night, he also knew the reputation of the warlords they were fighting, and how they had the well earned reputation of warriors of the night. And their ruthless, cunning, was magnified a thousand times by the setting of the sun. He settled in, troubled, but thought of Brooke, smiled, and went into a soft sleep.

Lucas was awakened by the sound of many screams, gunshots, artillery en masse, and hundreds of Taliban soldiers rushing the Americans fighting positions. Lucas yanked his rifle up, his NODS down, and began to fire. And while many dropped, many more came, and Lucas realized, "this is going to come to hand to hand." The Americans held them off, but the Taliban kept coming, and it finally came to hand in hand. The first Taliban to get to him made a stabbing motion with his rifle bayonet, but Lucas dodged, and sliced out, getting the man's throat. His NODS were knocked off, and the fighting light came from that of the many explosions taking place around them. Lucas jabbed, sliced, and cut through enemy after enemy, and finally, the last he saw came at him. And Lucas finally felt the rage boil up, and with a scream, he ran forward, picked up, and slam tackled the man. He grabbed his knife from the sheathe, and began to stab, screaming as he did so. Letting all the pent up anger and emotion take over him. He stabbed and stabbed and stabbed, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and saw Matt, blood and dirt on his face and loadout, standing there, looking at him grimly. "It's over buddy. It's finished for now." Lucas nodded, looked at the man one more time, stood up, and broke down into tears. "What the fuck has happened to me?" He said out loud. Matt looked at him, even more grimly than before. "You finally saw the world for what it truly is." And with that, Matt guided Lucas back to the line. The first rays of the sun broke over the mountains, but Lucas no longer saw the beauty. To him, purple was the color of the medal for the wounded, and the brilliant red was the color of the blood of those on that battlefield. "Brooke," he thought, "I'm sorry, but I broke my promise. I'm not the same guy I was when I came over here. And I don't think I ever will be again."


	12. Chapter 11

Lucas looked out on the grass field that was the landing zone. Then he looked at the mountains, the many trees and rocks that made up the mountain, which were now littered with bodies and blood. He held his rifle at the ready, but he didn't think that he would need it anymore. It was finally over. However, it came at a great cost. As Lucas was relieved by the first set of fresh ground soldiers, he walked over to the medical area and command post, in the light tree cover, surrounding a massive rock. He saw the general talking into a sat phone, while he looked at diagrams and maps of the area, all with a pistol strapped to his side and the rifle slung on its strap around his chest. He looked exhausted, just like his troops. _"That's a good man right there. A general that will go into the field of battle with his troops, you just don't find that anymore. I can not wait to be like him when I get farther down the line, become an officer and all._

_If I live that long."_

Lucas continued to look, and he finally found Daren, helping the other medics of course, even if he was supposed to e the patient, for once. It made Lucas smile just a little bit. When you were a soldier in Afghanistan, you learn to appreciate the little things, and smile over them. After all, when you lived the life that the rangers did, knowing that every day could be your last, you knew not to screw around and feel sorry for yourself and your friends and family. You chose this life, and so did your brothers in arms. So smile, they told themselves, because not everyone is lucky enough to get the chance to truly discover themselves by living on the edge, That's what they told themselves. But Lucas was having a hard time getting himself to believe all of that.

While he stood there, thinking, Daren rushed over to him. "You ok man? C'mon, take a seat. You deserve it." "Thanks bro, but I'm good. How's Jack?" "He's doing all right. Saved my fucking life last night. Nearly sacrificed himself. Gotta buy the lucky fucker one hell of a steak dinner!" They both shared a quiet laugh, and Lucas got up to go find Jack. He found the young teen sitting on a rock, looking at the sky. The horizon in the morning was beautiful, and any soldier could tell you, that when you saw it, it definitely helped you think about things a little bit more clearly. "Hey brother." He greeted Jack. "Hey brother." "How you doing?" "I'll hold up. We're all gonna be in the sick bay tomorrow for our injuries, so why wallow around about it now, right? Too many guys can't." The tears began to come to both of their faces, as they thought about all the friends that they had seen die that day and night. "You know Jack, I don't pretend to have all the answers." Lucas began through tears, struggling to get the words out. "But I know that we all knew what we were getting into when we joined the rangers. And I also know that we all came out here to make a difference. And I know that that is some fucking bull shit right now, but you gotta believe me brother, what they did, what they died for, they're heroes man. They died for something bigger than any of us. And I think that's the way they would have liked to go. Cuse man, they died for their country. And right now, they're in a special spot in heaven, I believe. A spot reserved for the soldiers that died doing their duty. And one day, even though it may be hard for us to see or believe, we're gonna see all of them again. I promise. But until then brother, I'm here for you. Don't give up on me. Don't give up on us. Don't give in to them. Because then, they really did die for nothing. And the fucking tali really did win. Alright brother? We're gonna go home." And Lucas realized, after he finished speaking, that he was talking to himself too.

Troy walked out to the landing zone, and watched as regular infantry came to begin relieving the soldiers who had been there for the past day. But he knew there was no point. The Taliban were gone, and all they left behind were the dead from both sides. He took out the picture of he and his high school classmates, pondering, _"when the fuck did I change from him, the popular basketball best of both worlds guy, to this crazy ass mothefucker who does all of this?"_ He stood there, watching more and more men from the night begin to leave on the choppers, and he continued to wonder, like Lucas, like Matt, like Jack_, "what the fuck happened to me? I didn't want to become like this. I just wanted to serve my country, make a difference, change someone's life, do what was right. What the fuck happened to me?"_ And none of them had an answer for that question.

Jack pulled out his phone, which, being that it was an army issue phone, even though it was a regular old phone, it got amazing service, everywhere. Even the mountains of Afghanistan. Jack pulled it out, and pressed Kim's name on the contact list. He had to talk to her, just to let her know that he was ok, that they were gonna be ok. The phone began to ring. _"What the fuck do I say after this? What do I tell her? Fuck baby, just pick up the fucking phone."_

Kim stood there, the night falling, even as the fighting drained down on the radio and as people began to leave, she and the army wives stayed. They had nowhere to be, and they had to stay strong for their soldiers out in the fight. They had to stay strong enough, they thought, for them to survive, make it through. She jumped when her phone rang, and then looked down, and saw the caller id. She quickly pressed answer, and held it up to her ear as quick as she could. "JACK! ARE YOU THERE?!" "I'm here baby. I'm still here." He responded weakly. "I...I was listening to the radio broadcast, the comms from the battle. I heard it all...baby, I thought they had killed you-" "Shhhhhhh, baby, it's ok. I'm fine. Just a bullet baby, I'm gonna be alright." "OH MY GOD! JUST A BULLET, THAT COULD HAVE FUCKING KILLED YOU JACKSON ALEXANDER BREWER!" "Baby, calm down. I'm alright, I swear. Just wanted to hear your voice. I love you, and I've got to go now, ok?" 'I love you Jack." She said, tears now free falling. She heard the line click, and tears of joy streamed down her face, as she now knew that her man was safe.

Matt texted his wife a quick I love you and I'm ok message, and then went to join Troy. The two sat there, not speaking. They didn't have too, as they had served together so long in combat, they practically knew what the other was thinking at all times. And they both knew that neither really wanted a conversation. They just wanted to get back to base and take a shower and go to sleep, and forget that the day had ever happened. The chopper came down a little bit away from them, and they saw the general come up behind them. They quickly stood up, but he waved them at ease. He put a hand on each of their shoulders, and they all felt the tears run down their face. It had been a long hard night, and one that would impact the soldiers that had participated in it forever. They all knew, nothing would ever be the same. That was what they thought about as they walked over and boarded the chopper.

Lucas and Jack ran and jumped on the chopper, and all Lucas could think about was, _"Fuck this. But I am one step closer to going home."_ He got on, helped Jack and some other injured solders get settled, and then settled in for the chopper ride back to base. Thank God for sleep was the thought that dominated his mind on the way back, and he was asleep before the chopper was fully moving forward.

The chopper landed a while later, and Lucas went off in full battle gear, which along with his uniform, was torn and bloodied up. Many medics were there waiting, but Lucas shook them all off, instead moving past them, heading for his room where he could wash it all off. He got there, took off everything, and immediately hopped in the shower, where he began to lather down, and wash the blood of his brothers off. He thought of Ward, and Jordan James, and all the other men he had touched down with. And he immediately began to sob.

Brooke paced back and forth. Finals for the college course that she and her friends had taken over the summer, world studies, was over. They all were supposed to go to the beach to celebrate. Then everything had happened. And it had all seemed like it was going to be all right when they began to get phone calls and the radios went quiet. But she never got one from Lucas. She began to cry, holding her head in her hands, wondering, _"Is this it? Is he alive? Dead? What is happening? What is going on? Where are you Lucas? Why haven't you called?" She continued to cry, which turned into sobs, as she thought about the what ifs. "How can I live like this? The not knowing? It's killing me. Just call! Lucas, where are you?"  
_Lucas got out of the shower, and immediately , after changing into a fresh set of fatigues, went straight for the MEDEVAC tent. He got there, and despite it being much more crowded than usual due to the events that had transpired, made it to the head surgeon in no time flat. He grabbed his arm as he finished with a patient, and yanked him around, "Ward? Ethan Ward? Is he alright?" "Yes he is. Banged up, gonna be out of the game for a little bit like much of your group, but he should come out fine." "thanks doc." Lucas walked out the door, and dropped to a crouch, head in his hands. _"Thank you for saving one of us Lord."_ He prayed, and then got up, and remembered that he hadn't called Brooke. He pulled out his phone, and dialed the number.

Brooke was still freaking out, when all of a sudden, the phone rang. She yanked it up and answered. "Hello?" "Hey baby." She heard weakly come out of the other end of the line. "LUCAS! Are you alright baby?" "I reckon I'm doing alright baby. How are you?" ""Extremely worried. What...What happened out there Lucas?" There was a pause, and silence on the other end of the phone. "Terrible things baby. Horrible, awful, terrible things." "Tell me. Talk to me about it baby." "I can't Brooke. But you know what? that's ok. Because I don't want you to know about all of this babe. I'm not proud of what happened here today babe. I'm not proud of what I did. Baby, I just want to come home to you." "I know Lucas. I know baby." "Baby, there's one more thing." "What is it Luke?" "Jordan James? Quinns Husband? He...He's dead." Brooke went silent, feeling fresh tears come to her eyes. "Oh Quinn..." "What can I do?" "Just be there for her. You're good at that." "Alright babe. I promise, I'll help her till you get back." "Only six more months baby. Not that long. " "Not that long baby...I love you Lucas. I will forever. You know that right?" "Yeah baby, I know. It'll all be alright. I promise. I'll be back before you know it. I love you Brooke." "I love you too Lucas. Always." "Always and forever." And then the line clicked off. But Brooke continued to sob, because she knew, that deep down, that Lucas might not make it back in six months.

Lucas sighed, and rolled over in his bed. He had walked over as he was talking, and had gotten in just as the call was ending. It was midday to most of the soldiers, but to him, it was an end to several horrible days. _"And to think," he thought as he fell asleep, "We were all so ready to grow up."_


	13. Chapter 12

(A/N: Hey guys! So, I know that some of yall may be wondering what all of these characters look like. Several things. First off, most are major TV or movie characters, and you can search them on the web. Troy has kind of short hair, but not as short as in the lucky one. But face and body look similar to that. Matt looks like Paul Walker. I'm changing CeCe to Elizabeth, who looks like Lacey Chabert. The rest are searchable on the web. And as usual, if you have any likes or dislikes or ideas or anything if the sort, review! PM! Not much I enjoy more than reading yalls reviews and messages. I write this for yall! Anyways, spread the word about the story, and enjoy!)

Lucas awoke the next morning around 6, the same time as normal, along with all of the other Force Recon soldiers and fellow SEAL's. Enough time to get in a run and shower before breakfast and the days ops. But this morning, it was different. No ops. No groups of soldiers runnimg. No one working out in the gym. Too many soldiers were banged up. Due to KIA'S and wounded, the force recon teams of the Rangers were well below fifty percent operational. So Lucas decided to run, work out, shower, and chill for the rest of the day. "Anything to keep my mind off of the fighting. " He thought to himself.

Troy woke up and be fan to text Gabriella. He asked about her day, they talked about high school, joked, laughed, did pretty much anything except talk about the fighting. She steered away from the subject after a bad op, and he certainly didn't go out of his way to talk about it. Such was the conversation of a hardened military couple. After he was done, he went to run and workout with Matt, Lucas, and Jack, and to try and forget, albeit temporaryily, the fighting.

Jack woke up, and found that his long hair was, for once, not a mess when he woke up. And as he was clean shaven, he was all ready to work out with the guys. But he just didn't, if he admitted to himself, have the drive to do it. He wasn't ready. He just wanted to go sleep away his pain. And even if that wasn't an option, he just wanted to forget all those that he had lost in the space of twenty four hours.

Matt walked along with the guys, hours later. It had just hit eight in the morning, and they had finished their workout and run. They were walking back to the barracks to shower and chow when their phones all buzzed. Matt pulled his out and saw, "Gen.-need to see you guys ASAP. Get showered and head to HQ." They all shared looks, wondering, "what the hell?" They all shrugged at one another, and headed to the barracks to quickly shower and get to HQ.

Lucas walked in in a new multicam uniform, sleeves rolled up, with all of the new body armor he had just gotten from the armory,along with his M4, fully loaded. He, along with all of his buddies, were completely ready for combat. They walked into the generals office, stood at attention, and saluted. General Holden waived them to at ease, and they stood in the at ease position, perfectly still. Some parade ground training from boot camp never faded. The general smiled, and began to speak.

"Boys, we just took one hell of an ass kicking, didn't we?" Jack allowed himself to nod, and along with the rest of the guys, let out painful, "yessir." "Right now, Force Recon is below half strength. Well below. Between the dead and badly wounded, we're gonna be out of commission as a unit for the rest of the deployment, and possibly after. It's gonna take several classes of recruits to get back to full strength. So, I'm reassigning you at the request of a certain group. All four of you take care of your affairs here on base. You ship out to Bagram Air Force Base, the SEAL's base of operations for Afghanistan. You're being permanently reassigned to Team 6. Congratulations men." They saluted, the general saluted back, and they were released to their quarters.

Troy walked out, and as soon as they reached the barracks, they got in a group hug, talking excitedly, ready to become the elite of the elite. You couldn't go much higher than the Seals in the Spec Ops community. And they had been requested, of all things! Troy hugged Matt, Lucas, and Jack one more time, then went to call Gabriella. She picked up quickly. "Troy?" "GABRIELLA! YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT! THEY PUT ME ON TEAM 6! THAT'S WHERE I'M FINISHING MY DEPLOYMENT! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!"

Gabriella laughed as she listed to Troy go on and on like a child on Christmas morning. Being brought up to the SEAL's had been Troy's dream since joining the military. And now that he had finally made it,she was just happy for her husband. "When do you come home Troy?" "Same time as before. They'll come home and redeploy about the same as Force Recon would have." "I'm so proud of you Troy. I love you baby." "I love you so much Gabby. Tell the family I love em. And tell all the gang from high school that I love them to, and that I'm sorry that I'm gonna miss the special reunion. I'll make it up, I promise. I'm gonna hit the sack now babe. Gotta be up early. I love you Gabby. Night." And with that, he hung up. And Gabriella smiled, because even though her husband was still in theatre, she knew that career wise, he was the happiest he had ever been. And that made her happy. Even though her man was in danger, he was living his life the way he wanted, not the way his parents or friends or even her wanted him to live it. He was doing it his own way. He was living his own life.

Matt called, and Elizabeth immediately picked up. "Matt?" "Hey baby." He said with a smile. "How are you doing Matty?" "I'm doing alright Elizabeth. Just wanted to call, give you a little update." "Oh yeah?" Matt smiled bigger, because he could hear her smile in her voice. "They just moved me up babe. I'm in Team 6." His smile, then, got even wider.

Elizabeth smiled. Maybe that was crazy to some, but she loved that her man was happy, even while on deployment. Long ago, she had learned to deal with her husband's crazy side, and she knew that this made him happy. And she loved him enough to let him go again and again, to more danger every time. "I'm so proud of you baby. When do you come home?" "Same time. We ship out to Bagram Air Force Base to link up with the team tomorrow. Anyways, just wanted to call, tell you, tell you I love you. Can't wait to see you soon baby. Love you Elizabeth." "I love you too Matty. Stay safe." "I will. I promise."

Jack felt the phone buzz, and he saw Kim's number. "Just the girl I was going to call. Hey, what's up Kim?" "I'm just checking in. After the whole landing zone incident, I decided I should check In more often. Anyways, so..." "I'm in Team 6 now." "Team 6? Baby are you serious? That's amazing! You're one of the best now!" Jack chuckled. "I know. Thanks baby. Anyways, glad you called. I gotta get to packing. Love you kimmy." "Love you Jackie."

Kim closed the call, and smiled. She was glad Jack was safe, for the time being. And happy. It was so nice for them to just have a nice conversation again. They didn't happen as often anymore. She was just glad that, even for a minute, the old Jack was back.

Brooke and the fam were all watching a movie when the phone rang, and Lucas's caller ID popped up. Instantly, everyone started jumping and screaming and hugging. Even though he called frequently, it was still utter joy to have him call. She put it on speaker, and they all yelled out, "HEY LUCAS!" He chuckled, and replied, "Hey everyone. So, I have some news for you." "Is it good?" "Hell yes it's good. But hey, I guess yall don't want to know. That's cool. I'll call tomorrow!" "Everyone groaned and yelled and threw things at the phone, causing Lucas to audibly laugh. After it all died down, Brooke asked, "what is it?" "The SEAL's asked me to transfer to their tier one unit. I'm with team 6 now."

Lucas heard everyone break out in thunderous yells, cheers, and whistles. He continued to smile. It felt good to have someone proud of you. "Anyways yall, I have to go. I gotta get packed and get my affairs in order before I get shipped out to Bagram tomorrow morning. But I wanted to call and tell you. I love yall, and I'll see yall soon." And with that, they all yelled bye, and Lucas closed the phone, smiled, and went back inside to pack up.

Lieutenant Commander Alexander Paul Martin, US Navy SEAL, stepped out of his room at Bagram early the next morning, around 6. But he had already had a workout, run, and shower, and was now in full combat gear, ready to welcome the newest additions to Team 6. While he was waiting, he pulled out a picture. Him, Tori, Andre, Cat, Jade, Robbie, Brett, Tori, his wife, and many other of his friends, all of whom he graduated high school with, years prior. Now he was 24, had been through 7 combat deployments since graduating BUD/S 4 years prior. That was his family, that class, and because they came from a small private school, they were all extremely tight, even to this day. They all still hung out all the time when he was on leave, and they were always there for Tori when he wasn't. He loved them more and more for that each time. Alex was a proud warrior, who, admittedly, did not rely on God as much as he knew that he should, instead relying on his own intellect, strength, and skills much of the time. But it was something he was working on, and he knew that soon, as an officer, the time would come when the Lord would reveal to him the plan for his troops and Alex would fully trust and obey. The Lord had been a huge part of his life growing up, and even more so after he found his friend group in high school, and even more so when he was deployed. That was Alex. He was a simple young man, but he was filled with courage and vision, and as he saw the chopper set down, he prepared to pass that along to his new soldiers.

(A/N: hey guys, so a bunch of new characters based on people I know. Now, in case you haven't noticed, I curse a lot. A LOT. But I also believe in The Lord God Almighty, and his son Jesus Christ is my savior. Now, I'm trying to make an accurate soldier story, which means cursing. I am in no way perfect. And I'm not trying to push my faith on anyone. If you stop reading, I understand. No hard feelings. However, I hope you stick with me. Thank you again, and please review/pm!)


	14. Chapter 13

Alex Martin waved at the men that stepped off of the chopper over to him at the SEAL's compound entrance. Located right next to the tarmac of Bagram Air Force Base, it was a bunch of quickly constructed wooden buildings, almost like the ones the one story beach houses that were raised up over the water on the coast. The entire facility was surrounded by massive permacrete blocks that were stacked two tall, reaching ten feet up, with barbed wire over the top. The SEAL's didn't play. The six men that jumped off of the chopper ran quickly over to him and stood at attention. Alex took a deep breath, and then spoke, somewhat quietly. There was no need for yelling. Yet. "At ease. Morning soldiers. As I'm sure that General Holden told you, first off, we are very sorry for your loss. What happened at the landing zone was inexcusable. We want to give you a chance to get some payback. We are Tier One. We take care of the people who masterminded the ambush at the landing zone. We take care of units like the Rangers and the regular soldiers, across branches, so that what happened to y'all doesn't happen to them. Copy?" The soldiers all nodded their heads, in the at ease position, but still staring straight ahead, not moving. "We requested you men. We wanted you to join us. You're each moving up a pay grade. For instance, Staff Sergeant Lucas Scott was an E-6. A Staff Sergeant in the Army, a Petty Officer 1st Class in the Navy. You're now an E-7 in both the Army and Navy, a Chief Petty Officer and a Sergeant First Class in the Army." He pulled out folders. "In here you will find your room number, base passes, a bunch of other administrative info, the works. You know the drill. In your rooms, you will find Multiple different uniforms, multicam, ACU, BDU, desert and woodland MARPAT, all NWU's, among others. Body armor, kevlar, and the like have all been issued, which are in there as well. Multiple different kinds to match the camo. Try all of it on, make sure it all fits. In each of your personal armories, you will find M4's, M16's, M14's, MK11's, MK12's, M110's, M416's, along with various attachments for each gun and various sidearms. All have been tested. You have been issued these weapons so you can take part in a mission in various flexible roles. After we break, go out to our range, test your weapons, all of that fun stuff that we love doing. Anything wrong, see the SEAL quartermaster. Oh, and a sidenote, your formal uniforms are in the closet to. As you are all NCO's, you all get to wear the officer dress, complete with the cap the pilots wear. I'll be honest, I forgot what the name is, but you get the picture. We have transportation in the compound for when you need it. It's 0530 hours. At 1030 hours, we all meet up in the lounge. Every single SEAL. They know you are coming, and they are welcoming. Y'all aren't going to be treated as newbies. All of us here respect you and what you have done. You're warriors to the bone. You will be treated as such. Any questions?" The soldiers spoke, "No sir, lieutenant commander." "Alright, I'm gonna pass out folders. Scott. Bolton. Clayton. Brewer. Casey. Severide." All came up and got their folders. "One last thing. Don't be so formal and stiff necked around us. We're your brothers now. My name is Alex, not LT Commander. IT doesn't matter if it's an officer, unless it's a rare formal event. Name basis, Roger?" The soldiers nodded. "Alright. Dismissed." And as he turned and walked back into the compound for his early morning briefing and shower, because he had finished his work out and run already, he smiled. This was a good new group of soldiers.

Lucas walked into his room. All of the new guys had rooms in a row going down the corridor in the middle of the wooden housing unit. He walked into is room, A6, and went to the closet first, as instructed. Sure enough, it was full of all kinds of different uniforms, formal wear as well as the man working uni's and combat uni's. And, he had to admit, the blue NWU's looked pretty freaking sick. He hurriedly tried everything on. It all fit to a T. Tried on the kevlar. It all fit to a T. He smiled. The navy was really looking out for them on this one. Then, he grabbed each of the weapons he had been issued, put them in a trunk made to carry weapons, and took it out to one of the many trucks they had bought somehow for driving around base. He tossed it all in the back, and then got in the drivers seat, waving at Jack, Severide, and Casey to hurry up. They all hopped in, and they headed to the range to test out the weapons. Lucas smiled as he drove and looked out. The brilliant sunrise always made him happy. It always gave him hope.

Troy walked into his room. It was simple. Bed on the left, desk with a chair right next to it as a bedside table, closet on the right, Armory at the end of the small room. A little door to a small bathroom with a shower. He smiled. It already felt like home. He quickly pulled the pictures out of the first of his duffles and set them along his desk. Then the laptop, then all of his books. He reminded himself to nail the pictures that didn't have frames to the walls when he had the chance. Then he went about all of the business that LT Commander Martin had told him to do.

Matt went about all of his business, and then went to get in an early workout. He decided that he would shoot later, with Troy. He knocked on Troy's door, opened, and motioned for Troy to come on. Troy nodded, and they silently went to the workout area. Multiple outdoor racks were spread out, along with much more equipment that was outdoor proof. The entire area was covered with a net that was made more to obscure enemies from looking from the air, as opposed to protection from the sun and rain. But that was fine. It didn't rain enough to matter anyways. They both silently began to go about their workout routine, already at home and fitting in.

Jack pulled the trigger again, and the bullet jumped out, hitting just a few inches off from where he was aiming. He shook his head. _"A few inches too many."_ He, Lucas, Matt Casey, and Kelly Severide had all sighted in their assault rifles and pistols, and were now working with the more long range sniper rifles. And, as all of them had a competitive streak in them, it had turned into a competition. IT had started off with the MK11's and MK12's, both silenced. This had been so the soldiers on base still sleeping couldn't hear them. But as the soldiers woke up, they brought out the M110, and the competition began to gain some viewers. And soon, just to Jacks luck and disliking, there were most of the SEAL's, cheering on, and messing with, the competitors.

The competition went on, until it was down to just Jack and Lucas. And from then on, it was neck and neck, with neither soldier able to break away, partly due to the lack of either soldier screwing up. They were top of the line professionals, after all. Lucas smiled to himself, and looked over to Jack, who was running his hands through his hair. "He's stressed. Good. Time to go in for the kill. It was his turn to pick the shot, and he had just the target. "Alright, Jackie Boy, time to see how good you REALLY are. Here's the target. That human figure near the abandoned truck. 2100 meters out." Everyone around him gasped, and it got serious really quick. That shot was almost impossible. That would take one of the best marksman in the world to hit that shot. Then all of the operatives began talking and analyzing really quickly. _"Amazing what gets operatives riled up."_ He thought to himself. "Y'all didn't let me finish." Everyone quieted really quickly. "Head shot." He saw Jack deadpan. "Your move Brewer." Jack did calculations, aimed, and then waited, and waited, and waited. And then he fired.

Miss.

Lucas smiled, and brought up his gun. He aimed, preparing for the wind and bullet drop, and then steadied himself, and slowed his breathing. He waited, zoned in, and fired.

Hit.

Jack deadpanned, and the operatives cheered. Lucas smiled even wider. What a great way to be introduced to his new brothers. Then he grabbed all of his guns, loaded up the truck, and the unit did the same, and they headed back to base for the daily briefing.

Martin sat on the edge, about to speak, but letting the SEAL's finish their exciting stories about the mornings escapades. _"It's always a joy."_ He thought silently. Then, he got up to speak. "Morning gentleman. First off, obviously, the new guys from Force Recon, Jack Brewer, Kelly Severide, Matt Casey, Troy Bolton, Matt Clayton, and your new favorite marksman, Lucas Scott. Give em a hand." The soldiers erupted in a thunderous roar, clapping, whistles, among other enthusiastic sayings. "Alright, alright, calm down. No new guy stuff, cuse these guys been through it. Make em feel welcome and all. Second, these guys were ambushed at the landing zone, so fill them in on the upcoming op. I'm not gonna review it all right now. Anyways, we've tracked Ahmad Shah, the terrorist, to an Afghani village about 150 clicks away. The op has been codenamed Operation Red Wings, and is up in the air at this point. But be ready all, because it has been said that it is almost positively a go."

Alex Martin continued, but Lucas leaned to the soldier net to him by the name of Mike Murphy, and whispered, "Who's Ahmad Shah?" "Shah is a HVT, the guy responsible for organizing the ambush at the landing zone. He's a right hand man to Bin Laden, and rumor has it that the order to get the Rangers there was a order from the top. Shah also does a bunch of stuff like coordinate troop movements, coordinate between AL-Qaeda and ISIS, that sort of thing. Essential cog in the AL-Qaeda wheel. They want us to take him out. We located him, got an op planned, the works. Now we're waiting to see if it's a go. By the way, you a medic by chance?" "Not per se, but I've been trained. Why?" "No reason." Lucas turned back to the briefing, and just in time to hear Martin say, " Dismissed." The operatives quickly filed out.

Mike Murphy, a former friend of Lucas's, grabbed him to take him to meet the rest of the of the squad that he hung around with. And he was pleasantly surprised. "Matt Axelson? Danny Dietz? Y'all, it's been forever!" They quickly embraced, and Mike asked, "You know them too?" "Yeah! It's crazy, your Brooke's cousin, and they grew up next to me. A few years ahead of me, obviously. I had no idea y'all were a part of team six!" Axelson smiled. "That's generally the idea Luke." And they spent the rest of the time talking, catching up, laughing, just hanging out.

That night, the briefing began with Martin silencing the room of SEALS's, about a hundred and fifty packed into the Op room. "Alright boys, Operation Red Wings is a go. I'll turn it over to Murphy. Mikey?" "Thanks Alex. Operation Red Wings. The target is Ahmad Shah and his, we are estimating ten men, "loyal amigos". Including, this dude, Only have a first name, Taraq. Seems to do most of the chief shit for Shah. We're going in with a four man team. The recon team is Dietz, Comms. Axe, Nav. Scott, Medic. Objective of this mission is to positively identify Ahmad Shah." He pulled up a picture of Shah on powerpoint. "This is the best picture we have of him. It's current. We know Shah killed fourteen Marines last Tuesday in Kandahar. We just pulled this video off three different Tali web sights. It will in fact be a glorious day when Ahmad Shah and his good friend Taraq are no longer members of our human community." The video showed the two men executing a "traitor" who had helped the Americans. His head was chopped off. The SEAL's studied the footage, dead serious. "Bad guy. Senior Taliban commander responsible for killing Marines in Eastern Afghanistan and sport killing civilians in the HinduKush. Considered Tier One target rumored to be close to Bin Laden. Axe is going to go over our route in." "The helo pilots are going to do two false inserts. Then drop us off at our primary insert, located here. Secondary insert located here. From our primary insert, our bearing will be zero three zero patrolling 1.5 kilometers to our designated lay up point. We will be moving up the backside of this mountain which will offer us good concealment from the target but the terrain is gonna be rocky so watch your footing. I'm estimating it's gonna take us about two hours to complete." Murphy spoke, "Scott, medical." Lucas stood up, and got straight to the point. "First things first, win the fight. There's no medicine in a gunfight. It's self aid, buddy aid, corpsman aide. Two weeks ago, Team 3 was near where you guys will be. Capelli got bit by a rattlesnake. and contrary to popular belief, there is poison oak, so watch the cock and balls cause that will suck. Drink lots of water, wear sunscreen, and Dietz bring your own chapstick." Danny got up to speak. "Crypto will be wide band, segment 2- 4. Murph's got a SAT phone. Region is very steep so expect typical comms problems. We'll be on two hour comms windows. If we miss two windows I'd say wake somebody up. Other than that, don't sweat it." "AC-130 with us?" Murphy asked. "Correct. Just for the infil. All comms will be relayed through the AC-130, call sign Apollo. Suns up, she's out. Some of the key prowords - when we have a successful insert, Budweiser. When we're halfway through infil, it'll be Corona. At our observation point, Schlitz Malt Liquor. And if we positively identify Shah: touchdown. " Murphy got up again. "Reaction Force is the following: The 47's will relocate to J-Bad overnight. The QRF has the apaches with them all the way for protection. Martin?" "That's correct. You'll have fifteen team guys, and about a dozen Marines standing by all night. When we hear Schlitz Malt Liquor, we're heading back to Bagram for phase 2. QRF will stay here - we're leaving you with 4 team guys, 20 marines, 2 Blackhawks and 2 Apaches. The Apaches stay with the Blackhawks. The movement is so we can get the 47's back here and be ready to bring it for phase two once you get eyes on Shah. Remember - comms will most likely be intermittent and there are reports that noncombatants are being used as recon elements for the enemy." The JAG assigned to the SEAL team began to go over the rules of engagement, as the four men going studied the map on the table and the toy helicopters that represented the choppers and the toys that represented the soldiers. "Lotta moving parts." Axe said. Martin got up again. "We go in tomorrow night. I'm pulling up the new guy presentation to 1800 tomorrow so that all may revel and partake." "Are you serious?" Shane groaned. Martin smiled. "Yes. Glorious evening gentlemen." And Lucas smiled. His first op as a SEAL was a go.


	15. Chapter 14

Mike Murphy woke up early the next morning. The room was the same as all of the other SEAL's. It was messy, but still somewhat straight at the same time. A SEAL flag along with a New York Rangers flag hung above the desk. A book was next to his grenades and M4 rifle. His combat gear was strewn everywhere. HE yawned, stretched, and pulled out his laptop to check his email. A few bills, credit card offers, and, _"There. An email from my fiance."_ He pulled it up. It was a picture of a horse. The caption read, "If you're still thinking about my wedding present. Just saying...Love, Heather." He sighed, and decided to go to the one person that he knew who knew enough about horses to help him. He grabbed the laptop, and walked down the hallway, shirtless, to Lucas's room. He gently knocked, then walked into the room. It was a mess, but not as bad as his own. Lucas's MK11 Mod 0, which meant it was silenced, was on the desk. He had been cleaning it the night before for the upcoming op. All of the clothes in his duffel bags were now strown about the floor, along with various clips to the various weapons in the half open Armory. But there was a neatness about his room as well. Like Murphy and most of the other SEAL's, his SEAL flag was above his desk, just underneath an American flag. A Texas flag was above his bed, reminding all of the summers Lucas spent ranching in Texas since he was thirteen, and of course, that it was his favorite state, even if he didn't live there most of the time. A UBL wanted poster was also there. Among the MK11 and its various clips was his laptop and phone, still lightly playing a mix that included lots of country songs, as well as new Taylor Swift stuff. His favorite artist. Mike lightly grabbed Lucas's shoulders, who in turn made a motion for the M9 that he kept under his pillow. Then, Lucas saw that it was Mike, groaned, and crashed his head back into the pillow. Mike sat on the edge of the bed, and showed the screen to Lucas, who saw it briefly before closing his eyes again. "Is this doable?" Mike asked. "Expensive." Lucas replied. "How much?" "Arabic. She's got good taste." "How much?" "I'll find out. Expensive." Mike nodded, then walked out of the room, down the other side of the hall, and walked into Danny Dietz's room. He silently stood there, glaring, before he got a response from Danny. "I'm up." Mike nodded, then walked out. "You're going down!" Danny said loudly after him.

Axelson woke up to the pinging of a message coming over facebook. It was easier than texting sometimes. His wife, Cindy. "Are you up?" "Yes my love." He replied. "What are you doing?" His gaze wandered to the picture of him and her on their honeymoon that he had nailed to his wall. "Looking at you." "And how do I look?" Sweet as pie, boo." He waited for a few seconds, then sent, "I won't be able to talk for a couple of days." "Gotta work?" "Got to pay the bills..."

Mike and Danny raced across the air base, going all around the perimeter, through checkpoints, hangars, several active runways with choppers and planes coming and going. Danny had been ahead most of the way, but when the SEAL's compound came into view, Mike began to gain. Slowly but surely, the gap, which had already been slim, began to close. And then they were even. And then Mike passed Danny, and widened the gap. And as they raced through the front of the compound, Mike threw his hands up in the air in victory. Danny ran up a second later, and promptly put his hands on his knees, breathing hard. "Murphy by 1.1." Lucas said. Axelson walked up with a hoodie over his head and sunglasses on to block out the ever beautiful sunrise. "Who won?" He asked. "Murphy. Barely." Lucas replied. "Head shave?" Axelson asked. Danny made a pained face. "Man...I got to think this one out. If I shave his head, I'm going to have to look at him. Really look at him. Ears, face, funny shaped head...I don't know. Marcus? What do you think?" "I don't know boss...I don't want to be looking at him that close either, but he has been running his mouth about beating you...a lot. Head shave is fair." "Axe?" "Hell yea, I say shave him, and he can't eat with us, make him eat with E3 Marines until it grows back. Shave the boy." "Shane, not that anyone cares, but what do you think? Now lemme see you make a tactical decision, fast." "Well, I could go both ways on this. He did lose but, he was close and you're Mike Murphy and I would have expected a much bigger separation. Plus, we're at war and there's the whole Samson thing, so I'm not sure. I'll plead the fifth on this one. But you're the boss, boss. So I'm with you. I'll shave his head, wax his balls if you give me the order. Sir, I'll wax my own balls if you take me on Red Wings." Danny looked up, even more pained. "Come on Mikey, please man." "Yea Danny this is probably not gonna go your way. Shane, get my razor." "Getting razor, copy that." Martin stepped out of the Tactical Operations Command, the TOC, and spoke. "Not today, gentleman. I just got the go from up top. Red Wings is for sure a go. Tonight. As is the new guy presentation." Everyone started grabbing at Shane, harassing him.

Later, the four going on the op ate a large meal, accompanied by all of the rest of the new guys from Force Recon. Lucas was having a fly catching competition with Mike when he noticed Dietz looking at a paper with a bunch of colors on it. "How's the house Danny?" Mike asked without looking at the paper. "We were gonna wait but she's all into it and when she gets her head into something, that's it. There's no stopping her." "So just let her do it. It's good for her. You got a handy man woman. That's a good thing." "I don't know." "Don't know what?" "I just don't know." "What?" Lucas butted in. "He's afraid he's losing control of his casa." Axelson interjected. "Really..."Lucas said sarcastically. "Yeah, Go on. Ask him." "Are you worried you're losing control over your casa?" He asked, this directed at Dietz. "Shut up Luke." Was the reply he got. "He's having control issues cause he's the one whose always made the "taste" issues in the family." Lucas speculated. "She's got great taste. I trust her." "So what's the problem?" Murphy asked. Lucas nodded his agreement. "It's not a problem. It's just very ongoing. Know what I mean? New grass leads to new bushes by the window, leads to new windows, leads to new curtains, leads to new sofa, leads to new rug, leads to new floor..." "So it's control issues." Lucas said, smiling to himself, enjoying being one of the guys. Dietz said, "No," While Murphy said, "Yes." Danny galred, before continuing."It's like this weird journey that she's on. Moving through the house one room to the next." "Sounds pregnant." Mike said. Danny's head whipped around. Axelson laughed as he was speaking, "Dude, congratulations! How far along is she?" "She's not pregnant." Danny said "Where's she at now?" Lucas asked. "Kitchen I think." "Sounds awful." Lucas said, laughing. "Sounds pregnant." Mike said. They all burst out laughing.

All of the SEAL's walked into the lounge to watch Shane's "Initiation." Finally, after everyone walked in, Shane did as well. He walked up front, and addressed Martin. "Sir, I am ready to begin." Martin shook his head. "No, you're not." Shane looked at him quizzically. "You should introduce yourself, tell us something about you that we don't know." Shane nodded. "Alright, my name is Petty Officer..." He was cut off by yells and jeers, as well as many different things being thrown at him. Shane calmed, and started again. "My name is Petty Officer..." He was cut off again by the yells and screams and many objects turned projectiles. Martin spoke, "Mr. Patton, you may begin." Music turned on, and Shane launched into Napoleon Dynamite, dancing his heart out. It was horrendous. At the end, Axe stood up. "God that was awful." Lucas said. Axelson then Spoke, "Ok, here's the deal. That sucked, but I'm voting that we move him forward cause I can't watch this shit without puking anymore so I say lest be done with it. All in favor?" Everyone except Mike raised their hands. Mike shook his head. "I don't know, can he say it?" Everyone nodded along with him. Lucas remembered the words in his head, words that he had learned as soon as he had been notified of his transfer. The SEAL creed. Axe and Shane whispered, and then Shane began_. "I've been around the world twice, talked to everyone once. I've seen two whales fuck, been to three world fairs, and I even know a man in Thailand with a wooden cock. I've pushed more peter, more sweeter, and more completer than any other peter-pusher around."_ As he continued, he got stronger in his voice, and the SEAL's smiled, may mouthing the words along with him._ "I am a hard-bodied, hairy-chested, rootin, tootin, shootin, parachutin, demolition double cap crimping Frogman."_

Lucas and the SEAL's geared up that night, and Shane's voice continued on in his head._ "There ain't nothing I can't do. No sky too high, no sea too rough, no Muff too tough. I've learned a lot of lessons in my life. Never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet."_ Lucas checked his weapon, all of his gear. He was in the old style desert combat uniform, camo so old it wasn't even digital. _"I drive all kinds of trucks. 2x's, 4x's, 6x's even those big mother fuckers that bend and go TSSHITT TSSHITT when you step on the brakes." _

_"Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards."_ They all sat on the TARMAC, waiting for the CH-47 that was coming to pick them up for the mission. Each of the soldiers checked their individual equipment one last time. Lucas put on his helmet, a special one made just for SEAL's and other tier one units. He looked at the picture of Brooke one and kissed it, before tucking it in his vest. Mike watched over it all, preparing mentally one last time to lead his men._ "I'm a lover, I'm a fighter, I'm a UDT/SEAL Diver. I'll wine, dine, intertwine and then sneak out the back door when the refueling is done."_ The chopper landed, took its troops, and headed out. _"So If your feeling froggy, than you better jump, because this Frogman has been there, done that, and is going back for more."_ Lucas plugged in his earphones for the long flight, and smiled at his Ranger buddies, and at his new SEAL buddies. All of them, His new brothers. He smiled, and settled in for a nap, thinking of Brooke.


	16. Chapter 15

Lucas felt a hand on his arm, and he pulled himself out of his daze. Style by Taylor Swift played in his ears, loud enough to drown out the chopper engines. He saw the hand signals from Murphy. Five mikes. He shook the daze off, and pulled his phone out, pulling up Brooke's name on the text list, all while readying his weapon._ "I love you Brooke. Miss you so much. Sorry I haven't called, but it's been super busy since redeploying. Anyways, I got an op, so I'm not gonna be able to talk for a few days. Just wanna let you know how much I love you. Miss you and the fam. Be praying, as usual. I'll call you in a few days. Love you, always and forever."_ He pressed send, and settled back, pressing back on the phone so he could listen to the full song one last time.

Murphy readied his weapon, and sat on the edge of his seat, ready to go. Alex Martin came on the radio. "She does not need an Arabian horse." Mike looked over, "How the fuck do you know about that?" "I'm the fucking CO. I know everything." Mike laughed. Alex smiled, and continued. "Same horse that the Lone Ranger used. Glorious horse Murphy. Glorious." Mike laughed again, and flipped off Martin, causing all of the guys on the row to laugh. "One mike!" Alex yelled, getting them back on task. The four getting out stood and walked to the back of the chopper, which opened up as they walked back, holding the rail above their heads for support.

Lucas felt everything begin to slow down. His breath almost caught, as he remembered the last time he had inserted via chopper, it had not gone well. He felt the chopper slow, and hover. "ROPES!" The pilot screamed over the radio. The rope was promptly deployed. "GO GO GO!" Alex Martin screamed over the radio. Axe went, then Danny, then Mike, then Lucas. "Have fun you lucky bastards!" Shane said over the radio. Lucas shook his head as he slid down the rope, almost laughing. But it quickly disappeared. He was in business mode. The team went into a little circled up formation, with Danny pulling up comms with the AC-130 overhead. After everything was confirmed, they began the long walk to the target.

The choppers headed back to JBAD, where the SEAL's were to stay until the unit on the ground hit the final waypoint. The chopper landed a while later, and Martin quickly headed into the TOC. "Status?" "They're covering ground in good time sir." Alex looked at the wall. "Ok. Keep me updated." And he headed to the tarmac where the SEAL's were already passed out, and prepared to get a nap himself.

The sun rose hours later, with the SEAL's still moving, but almost to the target location. Lucas had his shades on, and was, as he did every morning, admiring the sunrise. It was one thing about Afghanistan that never got old. He then shook off his inner author and english professor coming out in him, and got his head back in the mission. Everyone would get plenty of other mornings to admire the sunrise.

They finally got to the point, and called it in. It took a little bit, as comms were getting worse, but they got through to the TOC at JBAD. Lucas and Mike stalked ahead, slowly trying to get a better view, but carefully moving, just in case anyone happened to be watching. Typical precautions. They couldn't see half of the village. "Think we should move top?" Lucas asked. Mike pondered for a moment, before responding. "Yeah. Let's try the peak, see if it's better." Lucas nodded, and they crawled up to the rest of the team, and moved out.

"Schlitz Malt Liquor." Danny's voice came in over the radio, weak, but readable. Martin nodded, and waved his hand to the rest of the guys who had migrated into the TOC. "Off we go. Night Night gentleman." They all put their shades on, and walked out into the morning. They had all boarded up, and Martin was about to hop on himself when a man in a blue NWU ran up, obviously having been in combat. He started rambling, but Martin slowed him down quickly. "Woah there soldier. Take a deep breath. That's it. Now what is it?" "Sir, part of my unit just choppered in. We're just MP's, but there's about forty of us that just deployed, half for the first time. We've come under fire in an Afghani village. We need sniper support badly. They say you're the best in the Navy and Marines put together. Can you help us sir?" "Son, I would love to, but I've got my own op that I'm on standby to assist-" He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see his right hand man Commander Kristensen there. "Go on brother. They need help. I've got it. Take a man to assist and head out. We can handle duties from the TOC." Alex nodded, and motioned to his best friend Brett Stevens, also a Lieutenant Commander, to come with him. They waved off the chopper, and came on comms one last time to wish the team luck before they got out of range. Then they headed for the UH60 that was going to take them to the hot zone. He gave Brett knuckles. "On the plus side, even if we do leave the unit for a little bit, we at least get a little action today." Brett laughed and nodded, then spoke to the sailor MP who had rearmed, and was adjusting his body armor. "What are y'all doing anyways?" "Training! Supposed to be some big wig coming through Bagram soon, and my unit is pulling security. And then we got ambushed. It's bad down there." Brett nodded, and then he and Alex settled in for a nap.

Kristensen walked into the TOC half an hour later, and walked up to the comms officer. "How are they?" He asked. "They were a little slow coming in, didn't beat the sunrise, but they're in now. Got there about half an hour ago, around 0645 hours. Should be settling in nice and tight right about now."

Lucas and the rest of the team moved along the ridgeline, several thousand yards away, but parallel to, the outside of the village, hoping to get to an area with a better vantage point of the village and its inhabitants. They walked for a good half hour before finding a spot at the base of one of many steep hills with good tree cover. The team settled in, and as Axe did security, Dietz tried to raise up the TOC on the radio, telling them of their new position. It didn't connect, No joy. Lucas just sat back and relaxed for a minute, watching the morning unfold, before pulling up his rifle so he could scope out the area. What he saw shocked him, and he let out a low whistle. "Whew, that is A LOT more than ten guys." He was jostled by Mike, who handed him some binoculars, and pointed to a group of men on the edge of town. "Four guys on the right. Tall guy. Red scarf. No earlobes." Lucas smiled, as he pulled his rifle up to take aim at the man. He liked doing that. "Fuckin Rick James, bitch." "You got a shot Luke?" "Jesus Mickey, with this little 556? I'd need to stalk at least a 1000 yards closer." "Gotta call it in." Mike siad. He turned to Danny. "Can you get that fucking thing working?" "Talk to the mountains sir." They all watched Shah head back to the village, into a building, and out of sight. Mike turned to Axe. "Axe, stay put. Keep eyes on, we're gonna move back." The three men other than Axe headed up to the spot they had chosen for their hides, underneath some low hanging trees that almost totally concealed them from view, about fifty yards back from the OP. The three settled in, and Lucas spoke to Mike. "If we're home by the 15th of December, me and Nate or someone are gonna cut down all the trees behind the stable." "How does that help me?" "Brahms horse auction is, I think the 27th." "Is he selling Arabic horses? Kristensen says I should get her whatever Silver was." "Silver?" "Hi-Ho Silver. Lone Ranger's horse." "Yeah, that's a bad ass horse." "She doesn't want a bad ass horse. She wants an Arabic horse." "Ok, shut up. It's an Arabian horse." "Arabic.""Arabian.""Arabic." Lucas grimaced, "Dude, I work at a ranch in Texas, and I'm from North Carolina. You're from New York. It's a fucking Arabian Horse. And how's she going to know the difference. Get her a Quarter Horse, tell her it's an Arabian. If she busts you, tell her if it's good enough for the Lone Ranger..." "How much for an Arabic?" "Probably around fifteen grand." "Fuck." "Hell of a wedding present." Axe had headed back up at this point and settled in at his hide. Mike spoke, "Danny your on, everybody else shut her down." The rest settled in to sleep.

An hour or so later, they operatives, other than Danny, were all asleep. Danny continued to keep watch, tired, but alert. BUD/S school had taught him well. He was sitting there, underneath his tree, when all of a sudden, a movement caught his eye. Gently, ever so gently, he put down the pad that he was drawing on, killed the music on the iPod, and pulled his rifle up. He didn't see anything. Just when he was about to dismiss it, he saw something again, and this time, he heard a clanging, almost like a bell. It was around this time that Lucas woke up, as his combat naps on missions could be disturbed easily. He slowly brought his head up, and heard the clanging increase in number and volume._ "The fuck is going on right now?"_ Lucas pulled his rifle up slowly, as the noise continued to grow. Marcus and Axe both woke up as the noise continued to grow. All of the SEAL's stayed perfectly still, rifles scanning, and then they saw the source of the noise come over the crest of the hill. Goats. A herd had walked up on them. And a herd always meant a shepherd. "Guys, be on the lookout for the owners." Lucas radioed quietly. He watched, and then, in a brief moment, the first human stepped into view. A young boy, about 10 or 11, walked up with the goats. And then behind them, a teenager and a old man came as well. The latter two talked about something, while the young boy, who looked exhausted, stumbled backwards, trying to find a place to sit._ "No...Don't do it kid."_ Lucas thought as he raised his rifle to match the movement of the young boy. But the boy kept coming, closer, closer, closer. Lucas slowly wriggled himself back, trying to get out of the way, but it was no use. The kid got closer and closer, and finally, his foot hit Lucas's, and the boy fell with a scream.

Lucas was out in an instant, grabbing the boy, who was trying to get up and run, and slammed him down to the ground, hands behind his back. Marcus grabbed the old man, while Axe grabbed the teenager, slamming him down as the teenager tried to do anything he could to get free, even trying to bite Axe. "FUCK!" Lucas screamed, looking over to Danny, who was trying with every fiber in his being to raise up the TOC. Danny was beginning to panic. Mike stood there, rifle at the ready, looking everywhere for any other Afghanis. "Check them." He ordered. Lucas started searching the kid, who was cowering in fear. Axe searched the teenager, who continually tried to bite and claw his way out of the cuffs, and Mike checked the old man, who had a radio on him. "Are you Taliban? ARE YOU TALIBAN?" Murphy shook his head as he threw down the radio. "Fucking Tali." Lucas looked over, and his eyes connected with Mike's. Lucas shook his head._ "This is not good. Not fucking good._ Fuck." Mike looked over to Danny, who was trying to raise the base on the radio. Danny shook his head. No joy. "Now I'm gonna be that guy.I'm now going to be that guy calling on a fucking unsecure Sat line because your radio is not functioning." "Talk to the mountains sir." Danny responded.

Lucas took off the boonie hat he had on, and ran his hands through his long hair. "Fuck. Cannot catch a fucking break." He pulled up what little bit of the village he could see with his scope on his MK11. It was peaceful. It looked like everyone down there was going about their normal business. _"Except that is the most dangerous part of Afghanistan. Pretty much everyone down there wants to kill me."_ He thought of Brooke._ "Shit. She'd probably come up with some funny ass comment about flashing them or getting them drunk enough to help. Fuck. Think about Brooke. Gotta get back to Brooke. That'll help."_

Mike finally got the sat phone working, and put the call in. After reaching the TOC, and finding out that as planned, the force had returned to Bagram, Mike managed to get himself transferred to the SEAL's TOC.

The phone rang in the TOC, and Shane Patton went to answer it. "Bagram Oulette TOC, this is Petty Officer Shane Patton speaking-" "Patton, its Mike Murphy." "You're looking for Mike Murphy?" Shane asked, not understanding hardly a word coming from the speaker. "No, this is Mike Murphy." "Mike?" Shane asked, surprised that they were receiving a call from a team on an op. "This connection sucks man. What's up?" "Get me the skipper now." "He's asleep sir." "Wake him up." "Did you say wake him up?" "Right the fuck now!" Shane took off running, and got to the Commanders room, where he was trying to catch some shut eye. After explaining briefly, the Commander and Patton took off for the TOC. They got there, and the commander grabbed the phone. "Mike?"

"Hello? Fuck, it dropped." Mike slammed the sat phone back down onto its place on his vest. Lucas spoke up, trying to add some humor to the situation to relieve a little bit of the stress. "We could light these goats on fire and smoke signal our way out of here." Danny joined in. "I could go down to the village and ask to borrow a phone." Lucas chuckled to himself. "You'd get some interesting tile ideas down there bro. Afghan Dirt Brown. Goat skin blond, she'll dig that a hell of a lot more than what is it Honey creme...?" Danny cracked a smile. And all of a sudden, seeing a potential opportunity, the teenager bolted. Axe swiftly cracked him in the back with his rifle, bringing him down, before slamming him back into the tree the teenager was first against, and then forcing the teenagers head down. Murphy looked out over the scene, sighed, and spoke. "Way I see it is, we got three options. One, we let them go. Probably be found in less than an hour. Two, we tie them up, and roll the dice. They'll probably eaten by fucking wolves, or freeze to death." "Three?" Lucas asked, already knowing and dreading what Mikey was about to say. "We terminate the compromise." Silence settled in on the group, as that sunk in. "Shah's down there." Axe began. "We let them go, Shaw disappears. Mission fails." "What, you mean kill them?" Lucas asked. He continued. "I don't know. I don't like it. We kill them. Yea ok. We kill them. Bury them. They get found. Then what... " "Then what." Axe said. Lucas stared at him, dumbfounded. "You know then what! It ain't gonna be private. Gonna be out there for the whole fucking world. CNN - SEALs kill kids. I don't want that legacy, bro. I'm not killing kids." "Shah killed twenty maines last week. We let them go, he'll kill twenty more the next week, forty more the week after that. Our job is to stop Shah. Why do these men have the right to dictate how we do our job?" Lucas quickly responded. "The Rules of Engagement says we cannot touch them." "I understand...And I don't care." Axe began to point at each of the team members. "I care about you. I care about you, I care about you." Axe finished with his look trained on Lucas. "I don't want Brooke to see your head, your decapitated head, on Al Jazeera. That is Shah." "I don't see it that way." "Where do you think he's running to? Two hundred friends down there." "They've got guys doing twenty in Leavenworth for taking home trophy guns. What do you think they're gonna do for fucking two kids and an old fucking man?" Danny cut in. "Why is it anyones fucking business what the fuck we do up here. We do what we do. What we have to do. That's it. That's our business." Axe continued. "That's not a kid. That's a soldier. That's death. Look at it." "They are unarmed prisoners." Lucas argued. "And the second they run down there we have two hundred hajis on our backs." "Then tie them up!" Lucas said, exasperated. "Let's just fucking go!" Danny then responded, "We can't just leave and let em go." Then Axe continued. "Who do you think the radio is for? They're not calling Domino's Pizza!" "I know what the fuckign radio is for." "That radio is fucking Tali!" The group all began to argue amongst themselves, as the severity of the situation began to grip them.

"This is not a vote." Murphy came in saying, which shut the group up. "This is what we're going to do. This op is compromised. Pack up. Everything. We're gonna let 'em go and we're gonna make the peak. When we make the peak were gonna make Comms. We're calling QRF and we're getting out, and we're going home." Everyone nodded and muttered yessirs while they moved to cut the men loose. They cut them loose, and they all started walking away. The old man turned, and said something that sounded ominous in Pashto, before turning around and walking away. The teenager began to run, but Axe called after him, getting the teenager to turn around. "You just won the fucking lottery." The teen glared, and turned, and began to sprint down the mountain.

Kristensen paced around while his men tried to make contact with Spartan 0-1, to no avail. Then all of a sudden, he heard the roar of chopper engines going from idle to full, and he rushed outside to see the Apaches, the protectors for his craft, beginning to lift off. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" He yelled over the sound of the engines. "ARMY JUST CALLED. THEY GOT TROOPS IN CONTACT." "BUT WE'RE QRF!" "wE'VE GOT FUCKING TROOPS IN CONTACT!" The pilot yelled before shutting the door. Kristensen walked away, disgusted.

Lucas stood there, watching the people leave. His brothers in arms walked back, starting the long trek up the mountain, the race against time. But Lucas stood there for one last minute, pondering the beauty. _"Amazing how something so beautiful can be so deadly."_


	17. Chapter 16

(A/N: Changed my username to SEAL98. And I don't own a lot of the plot or characters for these next few chapters. It's based on Lone Survivor. I'll change a few things, but for the most part, it's gonna be pretty similar. I would highly suggest watching the movie and reading the book. They're both amazing. I am in awe of those guys. True American Heroes. Plus, if you switch Marcus Luttrell with Lucas Scott like I am, then it makes this story come alive so much more. Anyways, enjoy! And yes y'all, lots of brucas, coming soon, I promise. And I'll put extra in there for the lack of it that we have on deployment. So without further ado…)

Lucas moved up the mountain with the rest of the SEAL's, but it was slow going. Weighed down by their gear, combined with moving up steep terrain with loose footing meant that progress, compared to the Afghani kid who had took off to tell the village, was almost nil. Lucas sighed._ "Shit. We're about to get fucking caught. Fuck."_ The men exited the forest, and began to trek up the side of the mountain that was just shale and rocks with no trees. _"Wide out in the fucking open. This is not fucking good."_ And then he heard a snap, a crash, and Lucas turned around to see Axe having fallen down hard. He was grimacing hard. _"Shit. He never shows pain. He just got hurt pretty fucking bad."_ "You alright?" He asked Axe. "Fucking Afghanistan." "Hell, I thought I was the one that was supposed to be falling." "I'm fine." But as Axe got up, and barely made a step without white hot pain flashing through his facial expression, it quickly became evident that he was not fine.

The goat boy got down to the village, and began to scream for Shah. Two Taliban soldiers heard him and quickly took him to see Shah. As he explained, Shah got on his old walkie talkie and began to call out to his army to prepare to move. The men all began to get loaded up. Well over two hundred soldiers, all loading up as heavy as they could carry. They were preparing for war, and the were preparing to take the lives of the American infidels.

The SEAL's made it over the crest of the mountain, but their joy quickly turned to anguish. It was a false summit, and the mountain that was blocking them in was even steeper than the one they had just scaled. There was no way they could get to the top before the Taliban closed them in. Danny and Murphy nonetheless started trying to get comms up, but to no avail. Murphy looked with disgust at the mountain that had deceived them. "What do you want to do?" Lucas asked. "Go home, get in bed, and watch Anchorman." "Roger that." There was silence for a minute, and then Lucas spoke again. "What do you think?" "We did the right thing. We let our love light shine. God ought to be smiling down on us. Isn't that how it works? Good things happen to good people?" There was silence again, and again, Lucas broke it a minute later."You think they're coming after us Mikey?" "Like a pack of wild dogs. Axe? You good to go?" "No problems here boss." Axe responded. Mike spoke again. "Here's the deal. Lay low here. Soon as the sun sets we move. If we can't get comms from that top we're probably gonna have to walk home anyway, so get some rest. Axe you're first security. We move in about sixty minutes." The team moved back into the treeline and set up a small perimeter in some rocks and fallen trees. Then Axe got on security, and the rest settled into a uneasy darkness. The men closed their eyes, but none could sleep. They were on the edge. Each man knew what was coming.

The men all sat, looking at the forest, searching, scanning for enemies. Nothing moved, but the men stayed alert as always. They knew that the Taliban were out there, somewhere, and that the SEAL's were the prize target. They had gone from being the hunters to being the hunted. All of a sudden, a movement caught Axe's eye. He brought his rifle up and looked through the scope. Nothing. And then he saw it again. A movement. A human movement. Murphy shook his head, and then slid up next to Lucas and whispered. "Gonna go do some recon. Be back in two minutes." "Roger. Want some company?" "Negative." Murphy patted Lucas on the back, who was now also looking through his rifle, told the other two, and then, while staying crouched low to the ground, headed for the top of the mountain.

He moved, staying low to the ground, but still managed to be quick about it. He got out of the treeline, went a few yards up the mountain to the cover of a lone pine tree, and sighed. Up on top of the ridgeline were roughly forty Taliban fighters. The SEAL's were surrounded with no comms and no way out. Mike rushed back to the team, and quickly stowed up next to Lucas. "We're about to get contacted." He said. Lucas responded, "Roger." "How fucking fast are these guys?" "Fast." "What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking that we're about fixing to get into a pretty good gunfight." "Roger that." "Looks like I voted wrong." "Negative. We've been given the opportunity to reach out and make some hell fucking strong contact with our friends from the other side. Job well done." "Hooyah to that sir." A minute passed, with Lucas still having his gun trained on the downslope. He spotted a Taliban warrior just poking out from behind a tree. "Hey Mikey? Think I'm about ready to punch that time card." "Do it." Lucas steadied himself, flicked the safety off, and watched as the Taliban soldier turned out of his cover, rifle facing up the hill, aimed directly at the SEAL's. He aimed dead center of the man's forehead, slowed his breath even more, and then...he pulled the trigger. Hit. The silenced rifle didn't make a noise, but the bullet did. The sound of the zip rang out through the forest. The man stumbled forward, and Lucas shot once more to make sure the guy went down. And then...Silence. There was no noise, save for a lone guy a ways away yelling. And then all hell broke loose.

All over, Taliban guns went from silent to letting loose with everything they could. The roar was deafening. Mike and Danny tried desperately to raise comms while shooting at the same time. "SPARTAN 01 WITH MAJOR ENEMY CONTACT! REQUESTING QRF! REPEAT, QRF! WE NEED HELP! FUCK!" His last statement came as a result of a bullet that hit his hand, taking two of his fingers with it. "FUCK!" Lucas looked around, trying to see what the hell was going on with the team. Then he saw a familiar weapon. "RPG!" He screamed, while yanking up his weapon and pulling the trigger twice. The man fell dead. "PUSH LEFT PUSH LEFT!" Murphy yelled over the squad radio. "ROGER, PUSHING LEFT!" Lucas moved from boulder to boulder, feeling the zip of bullets as they passed right by him, over him, and beside him. The SEAL's were fighting well together, killing Taliban practically at will, but the Taliban were beginning to catch on, taking up solid cover and suppressing the SEAL's with their volume of fire, hindering the SEAL's movement. A bullet came in and slammed into the rock right next to where Axe's face was. The rock splinter shrapnel cut into his face, causing blood to get in his eyes. Seeing this, Lucas quickly covered for him, pulling the trigger repeatedly to take out multiple enemies converging on Axe's position. One popped out of cover and got his rifle on in time to hit his target. The bullet hit Axe in his left shoulder as he was trying to fire, knocking him to the ground. A Taliban soldier ran up, screaming, and hopped onto Lucas. Lucas twisted, grabbed the mans head, twice slammed it down on the rock he was using for cover, then dropping the man, whipping up his rifle, and shot the man in the head. And then he went back to covering his firing lane. And slowly, the rate of fire from the enemy slowly decreased, until it was almost nil. "Left is good Mikey, I say again, left is good." And then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a .50 caliber machine gun came in, tearing apart the cover that Lucas and Axe were using. The roar was deafening. "LEFT IS NO GOOD! I REPEAT, LEFT IS NO GOOD!" Lucas came in saying on the radio. "Roger that. Push right. I say again, push right." Murphy and Danny looked, trying to see if there were any enemies. When he saw one move, Murphy popped up to shoot. And then, appearing out of the forest, multiple Taliban soldiers rushed the position. A bullet hit Murphy in his abdomen, taking his breath away. Danny jumped on him, screaming, "DOWN!" It saved Murphy's life, as a bullet that zinged over a second later just narrowly missed his head. The two SEAL's paused for a second, got their breath back, and returned to shooting.

Lucas threw smoke. "SMOKE! AXE, CONSOLIDATE ON MIKEY!" "ROGER!" Axe took off running, but didn't get far before a bullet hit him in his leg, causing him to fall, screaming. He grimaced, and pulled himself behind a tree for cover, while nearly biting his lip off because of the pain. Lucas took off running, as the rock he was using for cover had nearly been bitten down to shreds by the bullet. He made it almost to Mikey when he felt what he thought for a second was a lightning strike in his lower back/thigh area. He fell to the ground, screaming. "FUCK!" He yanked his rifle up and took out the guy that was coming up behind him, and then began to try and push through the pain._ "And I thought basketball conditioning was bad. Fuck. So this is what it feels like to be shot. FUCK! HURTS LIKE A FUCKUNG BITCH!"_ He moved over near Mike, who yelled, "BACK BACK BACK!" The men began to fall back, relentlessly chased by the Taliban soldiers. Murphy provided cover fire, while Lucas and the team moved back. The pain in his hip grew with every step he took. He set down by a large rock outcropping along a sort of trail. "MIKEY! CONSOLIDATE ON ME!" "ROGER THAT!" Mike took off running, in zig zags as they all did when they were under fire, to avoid being hit, and saw an RPG soldier come up behind him. He threw himself down to the ground, and watched and felt as the explosion hit right next to him, only a few feet away. Then he picked himself up, and kept running to Lucas, finally getting to his position, where they were taking major fire from all sides. Lucas yelled, "WE CAN TAKE THEM MIKEY BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED A NEW SPOT!" "ROGER THAT." Murphy looked down at the cliff behind them multiple times. "WE NEED TO FALL BACK!" Lucas looked at him like he was crazy. "YOU MEAN FALL OFF?" "ROGER THAT. DANNY, CAN YOU MOVE?" "NO PROBLEM" "AXE?" "GOOD TO GO." "DANNY, THE RADIO?" "TOOK SOME ROUNDS! IT'S NO GOOD SIR." "ROGER THAT. TAKE IT OUT FOR SURE, THEN WE FALL BACK." Axe and Lucas headed back, Danny stayed with the radio, and Murphy followed the two some yards behind. Danny went to shoot the radio and took a round in the foot. "FUCK!" He turned and began to hobble back to the team. Murphy was running when he took a round to his arm and his leg at the same time, knocking him off balance, almost causing him to fall on his face. "AH FUCK! UHHH." He dragged himself back up and tried as best he could to continue running with the team. The team reached the edge of the cliff and looked down. It was one long fucking fall. "READY?" Mike screamed. They all nodded. And then the RPG explosions behind them picked them up and threw them down the cliff.

The fell hard. As fast as they were going, and with there being a lot of downhill, nothing except something solid and anchored into the ground was going to stop them. They rolled over and over and over again, hitting rocks, trees, anything in their path. Finally, several hundred yards later, they all hit some sort of rock or tree at bone crushing speed to stop them. Lucas himself hit a rock three times as big as he was, which stopped him dead in his tracks, and also gave him an insane amount of pain, on top of being shot. He shook himself out of his daze, saw Mikey, and then remembered. "My rifle. I lost my fucking rifle." He looked all around, hoping beyond hopes that maybe it would be there. And it was. He lightly hit Mikey on the shoulder. "See? That's God looking out for us man. Thank you God. Thank you God." "If that's God looking out for us, I'd hate to see him pissed." Around this time, the other two came scrambling up to them. The gunfire had silenced. Lucas readied his weapon. "Alright. I think we can take them." Then all of a sudden, the gunfire opened up again. The very first shot hit Mike's foot. "FUCK!" He screamed. "BAD SPOT BAD SPOT!" Lucas yelled, while pulling up his rifle and taking out any targets he could see. An RPG exploded right next to him, but Lucas continued to fire. Then, he heard a whistle, and felt a searing white hot pain explode in his right abdomen. He was hit. Again. "FUCK! THIS FUCKING SUCKS!" "PUSH LEFT PUSH LEFT!" Murphy screamed, and the SEAL's immediately took off, trying desperately to get out of the fire for even just a minute.

They ran through some pine trees, using another small trail. Mike was hit in the back. "SHIT! FUCK ME!" Lucas ran with Danny close behind, while Murphy was farther forward and Axe had point. Then Danny was hit, causing him to go down. Lucas was trained as a medic, and he knew that Danny was starting to go into shock. _"This is not fucking good. Fuck."_ He grabbed Danny's straps on his vest. "IT'S OK BUDDY! I GOTCHA!" Lucas began to drag Danny as fast as he could towards the new spot that Mike and Axe had found, while Danny fired at any enemies that came anywhere near. He hit all of them.

They got to the new spot, but the SEAL's were now in awful shape. Sliding everywhere, all of them shot up, they were in bad shape. They go to the spot, and Lucas began to check all of the wounds that he could. He got Danny first. "Lucas, I'm shot." "We're all shot up brother. Can you fight?" Danny looked at his hand with two less fingers. "Mess up my drawing hand, that pisses me off." "You're ok Danny." He looked for his med kit so he could get to work. "Fuck, lost my med kit." Lucas knew the country alternative, but it hurt like hell. "Pack dirt into it, got me?" He said to the team regarding wounds. HE grabbed some dirt, packed it tight, and stuck far down into Danny's leg wound. The pain was unbearable. Tears began to pour out of Danny's eyes each time Lucas did it for each of his wounds. Then Lucas moved onto Murphy, and lastly Axe. Same results with all three. "HOW'D THEY FIND US SO FAST MIKEY?" Danny yelled, the blood loss and shock clearly having got him. Lucas whipped around. "Shut the fuck up!" He whispered. But they SEAL's all heard the Taliban excitedly talking and moving. They had been found. Danny began to freak out. "Got on us pretty fast. I was talking to my mom, she didn't say anything about it. Matty you see them?" Axe shook his head. "I didn't see them until you did Danny." Danny looked back down at his hand. "So much fucking red man. Really vivid reds." And then the Taliban fighters opened fire. "MIKEY! WE GOTTA MOVE!" Lucas screamed. Murphy looked around. They were surrounded on three sides, except for the back. However, that back was a cliff, even steeper than the one that they had just jumped. "LUCAS! WE'RE GOING OFF THE BACK!" "ROGER THAT!" Murphy went first, jumping, falling, twisting all over the place. Axe followed, and did the exact same thing. Lucas grabbed Danny, lifted him up on his back, and was just about to jump when a bullet hit his leg, making him fall, while a bullet hit Danny in the shoulder, causing him to fall. Lucas screamed out in pain, and lost the loose grip he had on Danny, and fell over the cliff, while Danny fell back onto the cliff. _"FUCK! I LEFT DANNY BEHIND!"_ Lucas thought as he fell.

The fall was even more brutal than before. Lucas felt his body be twisted and turned and flipped repeatedly. He wouldn't have even had any idea which way was up except for the ground and rocks and trees that he kept slamming into. He felt everything begin to go black, and his thoughts went to Brooke and their last night together before he deployed._ "Brooke...I love you...If I don't get back, don't forget me. Move on, and live your life, but don't ever forget about me."_ And then his head slammed against a rock, and everything went black.

He woke up to a faint rattle, and he squinted, trying to get his eyesight back straight, he saw a rattlesnake right next to him. _"Be cool. Don't piss it off. Just get moving. There's a few more things right now that are a tad bit more threatening than a rattlesnake."_ Lucas slowly shifted his head over to see Murphy and Axe lying there, still alive, but badly hurt. Murphy was on his back, barely able to move because of how hard he had landed on the rocks. He pointed up and muttered, "RPG." Lucas heard the whistle, and felt the explosion right next to him. He grabbed his rifle, and moved forward to the rock overhang that Murphy and Axe had crawled to. They were all still badly exposed, and the bullets were getting closer by the second. "Where's Danny?" Mike asked. Lucas shook his head, shooting, barely able to comprehend anything except to keep aiming at bad guys and pulling the trigger. "Lucas, where's Danny?" He asked again. "Up top." Lucas said, his words coming in short gasps. "We gotta go get him." Lucas nodded. "Roger that." "Alright, we're gonna get up there, grab Danny, come back down, fight them on some more level ground, and kill everyone of these motherfuckers. Axe, you're on rear security." "Roger that." Axe responded. "What's everyone's ammo situation?" "I got seventy rounds." Axe said. "Sixty rounds." Lucas said as he continued to shoot at the men on the top of the ravine. "And I got three full mags. Lucas, let's move."

Danny opened his eyes, not feeling any pain anymore. Everything was slowly fading. "So this is what it feels like to die." Danny felt the soldiers begin to search him and take his equipment. He looked over and saw the bloodstained picture of the tile on the ground next to him. _"I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean for it to end like this. I love you so much baby."_ He began to tear up as the thoughts, like the words on a page of a letter, kept coming._ "I'm so proud of you. You're gonna make such a great mama. Move on baby, live your life. I can't wait to see you on the other side."_

Murphy and Lucas started moving up the side of the mountain, but it was slow going. The small dropoff they had fallen down was filled with lots of boulders and rocks, which meant little footing and cover, and they were going uphill while being fired down on by the Taliban soldiers. They finally ended up behind some boulder together, pinned down, not even halfway back to where Danny was. "We can't get to him can we?" Mike asked. Lucas shook his head. "No Mikey. We can't get to him." Mike nodded. He looked out, and saw a large rock outcropping, almost like the one in the lion king, out about fifty yards to his left. And the line of sight to the base was unobstructed. You couldn't see the base, as it was an eternity and then some away, but there was nothing that would block a signal. "I'm gonna get us some help Luke. I'm gonna make the call." Murphy said. "Good luck with that one brother." "Lucas, look at me." Lucas turned, and saw that Mike was dead serious. "I'm gonna make the call." Murphy began to take all his ammo, anything extra he had, and put it in Lucas's vest. "Mikey, no..." But Murphy continued, not faltering for a second. "Mikey, I'm sorry." "For what brother?" "That we didn't kill more of em." "Oh we're gonna kill more of them. Bet on that Lucas. We're gonna kill a lot more of them. " Mike readied his M4, and made sure that the sat phone had the number ready to dial the second he pressed the call button. He turned back to Lucas on last time, and grabbed him by the vest. Both men had tears pouring from their eyes. "Always remember Lucas...Never out of the fight."

Murphy turned and sprinted up the hill while Axe and Lucas laid down cover fire. He took repeated rounds, but they didn't even phase him. He kept coming, one last complete and utter sacrifice for the men that he loved so dearly. He made it up to the outcropping, and dialed. It went through. "JBAD TOC, this is-" "Sir this is Lieutenant Mike Murphy. Spartan 01. We need immediate air support, immediate air support." "Roger Murphy. Can I have your ten digit grid." "We need help now! Need immediate CAS." "Roger that, I need your ten digit grid." "We are headed down the ravine toward the Chichakel village." "Murphy can you get me the grids?" "Hurry sir." And then the line went dead.

Danny saw Shah, the man they had been sent to kill, appear out of the crowd of soldiers. He was carrying an AK-47, and it was aimed directly at him. Danny smiled._ "I can't wait to see you in heaven baby. Don't worry, I don't mind waiting. I'll find a nice bench on a nice like, and I'll sit there and wait on you baby. And then we'll start our last journey. Together."_ The tears were now pouring down his face. He looked at the paper one last time, slowly grabbed it, and brought it to his chest. And then he looked at Shah and smiled. He was ready. It was about time to take his last trip home.

Mike Murphy was on his knees, looking out over the horizon, thinking about all of the plans he and his wife had made. He smiled. _"I love you honey. Say hi to my folks for me. We'll see each other again soon. I promise."_ And then he thought of all the SEAL's in his team. His brothers. He thought about how much he loved them. And he thought about Lucas. _"You're gonna be a great man one day Lucas. Great soldier, great leader, a great man overall. I love you brother."_ And then he looked out over the horizon and the slowly fading sun._ "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit."_ He prayed. He stared out one last time, and smiled._ "I'll be headed to paradise with a full heart."_

Lucas had seen the gunshots slow, and then almost stop. He had gotten back to Axe, and was aiming, when he heard the individual gunshots. And he knew. The tears poured down his face as he reloaded his rifle. He was still ready to fight. But inside, his heart cried out, regardless. _"God...When is this gonna stop?"_

Mike heard the gunshots, and vaguely felt them enter his torso. He felt the impact push him over, and he hit the ground. _"I always wondered what it would feel like to die." _He looked down to the side as he laid there, and saw Lucas. He smiled. _"There's a better place awaiting both of us. Heaven is waiting on us. I'll save you a seat at the bar. I'll see you again brother. And always remember Lucas..._

_**Never Out of the fight."**_


	18. Authors Note

Hey guys! So, this is not an update. Fear not, there will be one probably within hours of this being posted. I'm gonna do a few people a favor and take a quick break from Operation Red Wings to give you some more of the stuff on the homefront. That means Brooke and whatever is happening stateside, for those that don't know what that means lol! It's ok if you don't. For those of you, like me, who also lovelovelovelove the military part, tough place to stop, and I promise you, I am working on the next part of Red Wings. Additionally, for those of you who don't know, this part of the story is based on an actual event. Red Wings was an actual operation, and all of those men are personal heroes of mine. If you haven't seen Lone Survivor, its about this operation; go see it; and on top of it definitely helping you visualize the story, its an amazing movie. One of the best I have ever seen.

Anyways, so, there are a lot of characters other than Lucas and Brooke, obviously. That's ok, most of them you can search online, as most are tv characters. However, there are several that are based on real people that I know, specifically a friend group that's really tight that goes to my sisters school. I had a conversation with one of them, Alex, who really wants to go into the Military, specifically SEAL's, and also happens to love OTH. That inspired the change from Army to Navy. Anyways, I want to show y'all pictures of them as well as pictures that would show events in the story well, etc etc. Trust me, if you could visualize it, it makes the story SOSOSOSOSOSO much better. So, do y'all know any way to do that? To show you pictures I mean? That would help me so much if y'all could lemme know how to do that. Alex I introduced. More of that friend group is coming later on. If you guys have pictures, it will make a lot more sense. Additionally, as I have said, lots of characters, soooooooo, I'm gonna give y'all a brief rundown of all characters I have now and I plan to add, as well as descriptions of characters you can't find online. I'll try to update.

_**Main Characters**_

Lucas Scott-Shortish hair, but no buzz cut. Stubble

Brooke Davis

Troy Bolton-Looks like Zac Efron did in The Lucky One, but not with the high and tight, just the short hair he had while working on the farm. Stubble

Matt Clayton-looks like Paul Walker with a decent amount of hair and stubble. Short, but far from a buzz cut

Eric Barrett- Chris Hemsworth from Red Dawn, with a little bit longer, but still short, hair. Stubble

Jack Brewer - From the show Kickin It, with long hair. Search Leo Howard 2013

Brett Stevens-Liam Hemsworth with shorter hair and stubble

Alex Martin-Alex O'Loughlin in 2012, with stubble

_**Recurring, Minor, Future, etc Characters**_

Everyone else OTH. Duhhhhhh

Taylor Swift-y'all will like where I go with this. Trust me.

Molly Martin- Victoria Justice

Army Wives characters as follows-(search the names with the words army wives after them on the net)

Trevor LeBlanc

Roxy LeBlanc

Pamela Moran

Chase Moran

Claudia Joy Holden

Emmalin Holden

Michael Holden

Denise Sherwood

Frank Sherwood

Jeremy Sherwood.

Elsa (the woman who actually impersonates the princess from Frozen that I met at Disney) as well as some others from Disney that will be minorly mentioned at times during a certain section of the story. Search Elsa and Anna walt disney world website, and its a picture of Elsa with her hand out, and Anna doing some weird face and holding herself like she's cold. It's easiest to find on the yahoo search engine. And as of right now, also, the picture on the disney website when you open the homepage for walt disney world. But I'm not sure how long that will be up.

Victorious characters

Elizabeth Clayton-Lacey Chabert

Any wife that was mentioned already in the story

Any character in general that I have already put in the story

This list I will try to update. Help me out with the picture/gallery thing. I desperately need it for the story. And as always, PM/Review! Any ideas, input, thoughts, criticisms, it's all VERY much appreciated. I love it when you guys message me.


	19. Chapter 17

(A/N: Changed Eric Barrett to look like Chris Hemsworth from Red Dawn. He's introduced in this chapter, and soon will become a very big part of the plot.)

Brooke looked at her phone again and tapped angrily, as if that would make a phone call from Lucas appear out of thin air. She hadn't talked to him in several days, which hadn't happened almost the entire deployment, and while she knew that he had been assigned an op, she was starting to get worried. She didn't want to, as she didn't want to be "that" girl, the one that was clingy and dependent on her man, but the truth was, she loved him so much that she was dependent on him. On him being there for her, even if he was a half a world away. She paced through her room that she shared with Peyton, walking back and forth, twirling the phone in one hand, the other under her chin, as she thought, trying to figure what it was that he could have possibly been doing. Finally, she shrugged, and went to go surf through the internet, finding fashion ideas and whatnot, all to keep her busy until Peyton came back. She clicked away what looked like another creepy obsessive teenage guy private message on Peyton's blog, and began to surf the web. And when the homepage came up, Brooke quickly typed in the web address, before she could see the headlines and pictures of the war. She felt like it was wrong, but the less she looked at pictures, the less real to her it seemed. And that would help keep Lucas safe, right?

Alex and Brett were in the thick of a fight with multiple Taliban soldiers. To the soldiers credit, they had maneuvered the Navy Security Forces unit into a pinpoint perfect ambush in the Helmand River Valley. Alex thought to himself_, "The mystery is why the fuck a Security Forces unit, especially one with half of its soldiers on their first deployment, is out in the middle of the Helmand River Valley. Fucking Crazy."_ The Navy soldiers were wearing their blue NWU's with tan combat boots and tan kevlar. They were easy to see for the Taliban, and easy for the seasoned warriors to fight, as confusion and chaos reigned among the Navy soldiers. Alex and Brett, on the other hand, were in the desert NWU's, as well as calm, cool, and collected. Combat was nothing new for these soldiers. It was their comfort zone.

Gabriella sat in the living room of Troy's parents house, talking with all of their old high school friends, all while they waited for a call from Troy._ "He promised he would call..." _Chad interrupted her thoughts. "So Gabby, you think Troy's gonna be finished with his deployment in time for the special class reunion after Christmas? Everyone really wants to see him, and everybody is gonna make it. He in?" "Yeah, he in?" Zeke and Jason both chimed in together. Gabriella put on a brave smile, not willing to show how much this was hurting her on the inside, not willing to show weakness. _"I need to be strong. For Troy._ Guys, I'll be honest, not only is he special forces still, but he's in the Navy. He's a SEAL. I don't have the slightest clue. All I have is a ballpark guess, and that's sometime in March. It was supposed to be an eight to nine month deployment." Everyone in the rooms face's fell. They had all moved on with their lives, but they still held on to their tight knit friendships from high school. Sharpay and Ryan had made it big on Broadway. They still managed to make it around to Albuquerque quite often. Chad, Zeke, and Jason had made it through college on sports scholarships and now coached at East High. Kelsi was a concert pianist. Taylor was a major part of the New Mexico governors' campaign and PR team. Martha was teaching dance. But all of them were missing the one key piece that made them the Wildcats, the one who had brought down the social barriers, the one who had dared to go out and change his school, and now had dared to go out and change the world, the only way he thought that he could. They missed Troy. Terribly. "Well, maybe he'll make the next one." Chad said dejectedly. "Yeah, maybe." Gabriella replied. Gabriella knew that this was tearing up Chad, especially, on the inside. He loved Troy like a brother, and the two had been inseparable since they learned how to walk. They had done everything together, and although it had been years, Chad still hadn't adjusted to letting his brother go. _"To sum it all up, everyone pretty much sucks on the inside right now. This whole situation sucks."_

Brooke walked up to Quinn's house hesitantly. She had called the other army wives, and they were on their way over, but it was going to be a while. But Brooke knew that she had to go see Quinn, as her close friend was getting worse by the day since she had found out that Jordan had been killed in action. The day still rang clear as day in her mind.

_It was raining outside. Despite it being the summer, a massive thunderstorm had rolled in, and the earth had turned into a cold dark place. Brooke, Quinn, and all of the girls were gathered for a sleepover at Quinns house, to ease off the fear that they all secretly harbored towards Tree Hills massive summer thunderstorms. They all were in their sweats and were relaxing, eating junk food, making fun of one another, and generally having a good time while watching romantic comedies. "Soooooo, Quinnnnn, got anything special for us to see?" asked Haley, laughing as she did, knowing that she had gotten a letter from Jordan that day in the mail. "Actually, yes I did Hales! Would you all like to hear it?" She finished the last statement with a wink and all of the girls squealed. Quinn brought out the letter, and began to read it, and as it got into the lone, more forthcoming parts, the girls began to scream and laugh and squeal even louder. "Quinn, stopppppp, Lucas is overseas to, and you're making me-" "I'm making you what Brooke?" All the girls looked at Brooke, laughing. Peyton laughed, and yelled, "So THAT'S what those noises are when you get a call from Lucas in the middle of the night!" The entire room burst into loud laughter, with the girls crying and laughing on the floor. Then the doorbell rang. Brooke got up, still laughing. "I got it!" She walked to the door, trying to stop laughing. But what she saw next instantly brought her back down to earth. She opened the door, still laughing. "Hello, could you please-oh my god." She saw the rain soaked people on the porch for the first time. She could recognize the black formal army uniforms, the two chaplains, the bible, the black car anywhere. Any army woman could. It was the single worst visit one would ever receive. Her hand came to her mouth. Quinn came up behind her, "C'mon Brooke! Let's go! I still have three paragraphs-oh my god." She finished her statement after seeing the men in uniform. The head chaplain looked straight at her, sorrow filling his eyes. He took off his hat. "Ma'am, are you the wife of Spc. Jordan James?" "Yessir, I am." He pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket, and spoke. "Ma'am, the Secretary of the United States Army and I regret to inform you that your husband Spc. Jordan James has been killed in action while serving his country in Afghanistan." He put the letter back in his coat pocket. "Ma'am, I don't know what you're going through. I've never lost my wife, and certainly haven't had her pulled away from me in the midst of a war. Can I pray for you ma'am?" Quinn nodded, and while the prayer continued, Brooke thought to herself, "The second worse thing that could ever happen to me. My best friends love was just yanked away from her...What if it had been Lucas?"_

Brooke shuddered at the memory of that night, but the day of the funeral had been even worse.

_The Rangers that had accompanied his body home slowly walked, perfect attention, perfectly in step with one another. The shiny wood casket was covered by an American flag. In the front row, Jordan's parents and his twin brother, also in the Army, sat next to Quinn on her left. On Quinn's right sat Brooke. Hundred of people had come out to the funeral, all dressed in black, all with tears. Brooke looked over to her right, across the aisle in between seats, to see a Navy SEAL sitting there. He gave her a weak smile. Brooke wondered to herself, _"I wonder if Lucas is going to be serving with him?" _Her attention was brought back to the casket. The soldiers began to fold the flag, and Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes. Just like Jordan would have liked it. The soldiers finished, presented the flag to their superior, saluted him, saluted the coffin, and walked back to their place among the crowd. The officer walked to Quinn and kneeled, handing her the flag. "On behalf of a grateful nation." He said. The officer stood up, saluted, and turned and walked away. The twenty one gun salute began to sound out, and with each collection of shots, Brooke jumped, and tears filled her eyes. It was something straight out of the Carrie Underwood song Just a Dream. It was awful. She put her hand on Quinn's leg, who was holding onto the flag like it was all she had. _

_After the service finished, and the people close to Jordan went to Dan's house for a reception, Brooke found herself in conversation with the SEAL that she had seen across the aisle. "You know a Lucas Scott?" "Yeah! New guy from Force Recon, Rangers. Yeah, he knows his way. I met him when he was still in the Army. Good guy, good soldier. You're his wife I'm assuming?" Brooke laughed. "Not yet. Just his girlfriend." "It'll come in time. He'll realize he wants to commit. This first deployment might do you some favors!" They both laughed. "So do you have someone?" Brooke asked. "Oh yeah, amazing girl. Her name is Elsa." He showed her a picture. "She's beautiful. So, since her name is Elsa, I'm assuming that she enjoys dressing up like the princess at Disney?" "Oh, no ma'am, that's not a hobby. That's her job. She's the Elsa at Disney World. Yes ma'am, I lucked out. They love her over there, and they just happen to think very highly of me as a result." "How'd you two meet?" "Well, after I finished BUD/S school and SEAL qualification, I took my family, Mama, Daddy, and my two little sisters who aren't so little anymore, to Disney World. Anyways, ended up, the entire extended family dropped everything and came down, and we had this massive family reunion at Disney World. Stayed in that Key West resort, stayed at the parks for a week and a half, so on and so forth. Anyways, I took my sisters and all the cousins to meet the princesses, and I saw her. My jaw hit the floor, and I swear, I was so tongue tied I didn't know what to do with myself. I'm a good ole country boy from a little town on the Florida gulf coast, not far from Pensacola, so combine the accent and the deep voice with not having hardly anything to say, and I was embarrassed as I'll ever be. But she found it cute. Shoot, thank the Lord for that, cause I really wanted to see this girl again. Anyways, when no one was looking, we slipped one another our numbers, and I went on my merry way. Later that night, I called her, and we agreed to meet at a bar in Downtown Disney. I was just nineteen, but when you're a SEAL, you can get away with little things like drinking. So, I was on my way to meet her, and of course since it was technically our first date I was late, and I began to run and take shortcuts through alleys to get there quicker. I took the one behind the back of the bar and I found a guy covering her mouth with his hand, holding her to keep her from running or fighting, trying to...you get the idea. His buddies were all round him, cheering him on. I wasn't about to let em do that to her." "So you fought them?" "I kicked their asses is what I did. Anyways, after that, I took her to her home, and I guess she thought she had to repay me by giving me sex and all that. Me being the southern class that I am, of course I said no. She wanted to know why, and I told her that she should save that for the man that she loves. Anyways, I stayed over there that night to keep her company. Our first date was cuddling on the couch in her apartment in the Disney Key West Resort." Brooke gushed. "Oh my god, that is SO SWEET!" Eric laughed. "Glad you think so. The next morning she woke up about eight, after I had finished my run, workout, and shower. I was on the phone, and it was loud enough for her to hear someone who was obviously military. She saw my SEAL emblem tattoo and dog tags, and she put two and two together and guessed that I was a soldier. I decided that I would tell her the whole truth, and told her about being a SEAL. She was angry and sad and hurt all at the same time, and she said that she wanted this to go somewhere. I said that I did too. I asked her if she could handle dating a man who would be gone a lot, and she said I was worth it. We've been dating ever since. So here we are two years and three deployments later, and we're still together, living at Disney. Happy ever after." Eric smiled, but wiped a tear from his suddenly red moist eyes. His voice began to crack. "You know, I haven't even told her I'm in the states. I ship back out to resume my deployment the day after tomorrow. I love the girl too much to see her for just one day. It's so freaking hard. I miss her so much after just a month, and we've got till next March till we can see one another again. It's so freaking hard."_

Brooke remembered Eric carrying a drunk Quinn home that night. He just had some kind of savior complex in him. It reminded her a lot of Lucas. Eric had flown out that morning, no one to see him off. He said that he didn't need a ceremony or anything like that. He just wanted to get back to the fight with his brothers. She shook off thoughts of her new friend, steeled herself, and opened the door. She walked into the house, which looked perfect, except for the bottles strewn about the floor. She walked into the bedroom to find Quinn sitting on the floor, back against the wall, with what looked like a tall bottle of some type of whiskey or liquor in her hand. She nodded to Brooke. "Great day isn't it?" "Come on Quinn, you need to get up." Brooke tried to pull the woman up. "Noooooooo." She slurred. "I don't wanna get up. I wanna stay on this floor and drink till my time comes. I don't wanna." "Quinn, you need a shower." "NO!" She exploded, shocking Brooke. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND BROOKE! NO ONE DOES! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE SO I CAN DRINK AWAY MY PAIN! THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT HELPS! DON'T YOU GET IT? THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS GONE!" She broke down in sobs, falling on Brookes shoulder. "It hurts so much Brooke." She sobbed. Brooke held her close, whispering in her ear, comforting Quinn. Anything she could do to keep her mind off of the fact that it could be her next.

"Wadd you think? Move back about fifty yards to those houses, set up on the roofs?" Brett asked. Alex pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, that'll work. Alright, let's shift back slowly. You've got rear security. And hey, while I'm setting up, get Joint Operations Command on the horn and tell em to hurry up and send reinforcements. We're in a battle for this village now. We need some soldiers that know what the fuck they're doing." "Roger that." "Alright. Brett, cover me. We'll leapfrog it back to the house." "Hooyah sir. Covering." Alex took off running, going about fifteen or twenty yards before stopping to cover Brett. Brett came running, going a little ways past Alex. They continued this until they reached the house. The house was three stories, set up in a small compound on the edge of a road. The two breached, and quickly moved to set up on the roof. Alex quickly went down on his stomach and began to pull the trigger at will, with Brett down in the third story trying to get JOC to send in more troops.

Brett got off of the SAT phone with JOC, who told them the troops were inbound, when a call came in. "Go for Stevens." "Brett! Long time no see, ay brother?" Brett smiled. His cousin Eric was on Team Six with him, and they were practically brothers. They had grown up near one another, been brother their whole life. SEAL training just brought them closer together. "Been an entire few days! So, how are the states? And the woman?" "States are alright. Funeral was tough. And I didn't go see Els dude. No point in just one day." "I feel you Eric. When are you gonna get back?" "Did you not check the caller ID idiot? I'm in a chopper with a bunch of Air Force Pararescuemen. By the way, they're coming in too. Figured you guys could use the help." "Roger that. Bunch of Navy Security got ambushed in the valley. No idea what they were doing there in the first place. Said something about some celebrity." "Fuckers giving us in the Navy that actually participate in combat a bad name." They laughed. "Fuck right they are Eric. Don't get your ass shot down ." They laughed again. "I'll do my best. I'm in an Air Force chopper. They know their shit. We're five mikes out. see you soon brother." "See you soon brother." Brett hung up the phone. Even though it had only been a week, he had missed his cousin. It was going to be good to see him again.

Eric pulled the picture of Elsa singing with whatever girl played her sister in the play at Disney out of the pocket in his kevlar. He missed her more than anything. He sighed, kissed the picture, and put it back in his pocket. He wanted so badly to just go home. Then he looked out, saw the mountains, and adjusted back to his surroundings. If he wasn't focused, he wasn't going home. He looked around the UH60. Ten Air Force Pararescuemen were in the chopper with him. All were in ABU's, with tan kevlar. He himself was wearing ACU pants with a tan t shirt instead of the ACU shirt, and tan kevlar. He carried an M4. "Time to go back to work." He saw the chopper begin to descend down the side of the mountain they had followed to the Valley. "ONE MIKE!" He yelled, holding up one finger for those that couldn't hear him very well. The men nodded, and readied their rifles. "Whoever said men in the Air Force couldn't fight should have met these guys." Eric glanced out of the window. Several choppers landed in a field to the left of the compound he was headed to, and the soldiers they carried quickly exited and began to form a perimeter around the LZ. The UH60 came in fast, and just before they landed, the doors were opened, with Eric coming out before the chopper touched down, sprinting to the compound. He ran in and moved up the stairs quickly to the third floor. He ran up behind Brett and grabbed his shoulder in greeting. Brett looked up and smiled, knocking the hand off of the shoulder and faking a punch at Eric. "GOOD TO SEE YOU BRETT!" "YOU TOO ERIC! CONTACT LEFT!" Brett shifted windows and began to fire. He, like Eric, was carrying a tan M4. "SHIFT UP AND TALK TO ALEX." "ROGER THAT." Eric quickly moved up to the roof to find Alex with his silenced MK11 taking men out left and right. "SIR, I JUST GOT IN WITH THOSE PARARESCUEMEN. WE'RE WAITING FOR ORDERS SIR." "ROGER THAT. TELL THEM TO START COVERING THE NAVY GUYS THAT ARE PULLING BACK. ONCE THEY'RE BACK, WE CALL IN THE CH47'S AND GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE. THE WHOLE FUCKING VALLEY IS COMING DOWN ON OUT THROATS." "WE'RE NOT STAYING SIR? I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT JOC WANTED TO MOVE INTO THE AO ANYWAYS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY." "NOT A FUCKING CHANCE. TOO MUCH OF A RISK WITH THE TALIBAN THIS HOT. DOESN'T MATTER ANYWAYS. WE'RE TECHNICALLY SUPPOSED TO BE QRF FOR RED WINGS." "RED WINGS IS A GO SIR?" "YEAH. THEY WENT IN LAST NIGHT." "WHO'D MIKE TAKE WITH HIM AS THE FOURTH MAN?" "LUCAS SCOTT. NEW GUY." "OH SHIT, THAT'S RIGHT, I FORGOT THAT HE GOT IN HERE RIGHT AFTER I LEFT. I MET HIS GIRLFRIEND. GREAT GIRL, THEY FIT WELL TOGETHER." "SO I'VE HEARD." Eric was about to ask about Molly when all of a sudden multiple explosions picked the men up and threw them back. Eric groaned and rolled over to see Alex doing the same. Eric shook off the haze, his ears still ringing, not exactly sure what was going on. "Mortars." "What'd you say Alex?" "They've got fucking mortars. We need to get the fuck outta here." "Hooyah sir." Eric crawled up to his feet and looked over the edge of the building onto street level. Most of the wall all the way up to the roof had been taken out by the blast. On the third story, Brett was beginning to shoot at enemies that were getting closer and closer. Brett came on the team radio. "Guys, we need to hurry the fuck up and move. We're taking fire, and those mortars aren't gonna be quiet for long." Alex responded. "Alright guys, just called it in. The CH47's are inbound. ETA is about ten mikes. We need to get out of this position and set up near the LZ. We'll leapfrog it there. Questions?" There were none. "Alright, let's move. Brett, you're already inside, you've got security." "Roger that." "Let's be quick about this gents. Taliban ain't gonna be quiet for long."

But they were. Just like that, it had started. And just like that, it had ended. The troops all uneasily boarded the choppers, expecting something to happen. The three SEAL's thanked the Air Force soldiers for their assistance, then boarded a chopper with the rest of the Navy soldiers to head back to base. Brett began to talk to one of them, loud so that they could be heard over the chopper. "Man, that was pretty fucked up. How the hell did y'all get pinned down like that?" "We were choppered in, with the goal to clear out that compound that was about a quarter of a mile in front of us. It was a real mission, but it was supposed to kind of prepare us for some upcoming event with some celebrity." "How the fuck would it do that?" "Apparently they wanna go see someone in the valley. I don't fucking know." "I gotcha. You know who it is?" "Nah. I heard it was a singer who was doing a USO show at Bagram." "Thanks man." "No problem. Hey, look, thanks for saving our asses back there. Our CO is the only one who has been in a decent amount of combat, and he was hit early. Hell, most of us were civies six months ago. We would all be fucked if it wasn't for you. Thank you sir." "No problem soldier. Happy to help." With that, Brett pulled his helmet down over his eyes, put his earphones in, and prepared to catch some shuteye before they got back to Bagram.

Brooke walked out of the room that all of the army wives, along with some of Quinn's high school friends, were in with the woman herself, trying to console her. Brooke had at least gotten her to stop drinking for the time being. "Little victories." She pulled out her phone and pressed Lucas's name. It dialed and rang, and then went to voicemail. "Of course it did." She thought. After the beep, she began to speak. "Hey Lucas, it's me. I just wanted to talk to you. I just went to see Quinn." Her eyes began to turn red, moisture entering them, and her voice started to crack. "She's a mess Luke. She can't handle Jordan being gone. She's so strong, but she's been reduced to almost nothing. She can't handle it. Lucas, I'm scared because if she can't handle it then I know I couldn't if it were you. No way in hell that I could. I love you so much and I couldn't do life without you." She began to cry, but wiped away the tears and tried to force her voice to come back to her. "I don't know what to do Luke. You were always the smart sensible one and the one who could comfort me. The one who could shoulder my problems and take care of them. You have a savior complex, and you've always been my hero. And I know that over there they need you, and that you're taking care of them just like you take care of everyone else in your life. But Luke, I need you too. I need you too take care of me. I NEED YOU TO PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALIVE BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT FOR SURE ANYMORE!" She finished her last statement with a scream and dropped the phone, sobbing. Roxie LeBlanc came up and pulled her into a hug. "Shhhh baby shhhh. It's all gonna be ok." "I don't even know if he's alive Rox. I can't handle this anymore."


	20. Chapter 18

_**(A/N: Hey everyone, so, I updated two of the chapters, changing the friend group to the cast from Victorious, so y'all can search them. I'm using them like the look now, not then, so Ariana and Victoria look in here like they do in 2015, not 2013. And I updated the character list in the Authors note. Alex Martin looks like Alex O'Loughlin in 2012-early 2013. I included short descriptions and ways to search them on the internet so y'all can see the pictures that I am basing the characters off of. I will be updating that list and in the AN after pretty much every chapter, so consistently check back. I will aslo try to tell you on here, but I may forget, so, just check to be sure. If you haven't searched pictures of the characters, I'm telling you, you need to, cuse it makes the story come so much more alive. And also, if you haven't rented or watched or whatever Lone Survivor, A., it will make this seem very real and you will LOVE these chapters, and B., it's one of the most amazing and inspiring movies I've ever seen. So, without further ado…)**_

_Previously: _

_Murphy and Lucas started moving up the side of the mountain, but it was slow going. The small dropoff they had fallen down was filled with lots of boulders and rocks, which meant little footing and cover, and they were going uphill while being fired down on by the Taliban soldiers. They finally ended up behind some boulder together, pinned down, not even halfway back to where Danny was. "We can't get to him can we?" Mike asked. Lucas shook his head. "No Mikey. We can't get to him." Mike nodded. He looked out, and saw a large rock outcropping, almost like the one in the lion king, out about fifty yards to his left. And the line of sight to the base was unobstructed. You couldn't see the base, as it was an eternity and then some away, but there was nothing that would block a signal. "I'm gonna get us some help Luke. I'm gonna make the call." Murphy said. "Good luck with that one brother." "Lucas, look at me." Lucas turned, and saw that Mike was dead serious. "I'm gonna make the call." Murphy began to take all his ammo, anything extra he had, and put it in Lucas's vest. "Mikey, no..." But Murphy continued, not faltering for a second. "Mikey, I'm sorry." "For what brother?" "That we didn't kill more of em." "Oh we're gonna kill more of them. Bet on that Lucas. We're gonna kill a lot more of them. " Mike readied his M4, and made sure that the sat phone had the number ready to dial the second he pressed the call button. He turned back to Lucas on last time, and grabbed him by the vest. Both men had tears pouring from their eyes. "Always remember Lucas...Never out of the fight." _

_Murphy turned and sprinted up the hill while Axe and Lucas laid down cover fire. He took repeated rounds, but they didn't even phase him. He kept coming, one last complete and utter sacrifice for the men that he loved so dearly. He made it up to the outcropping, and dialed. It went through. "JBAD TOC, this is-" "Sir this is Lieutenant Mike Murphy. Spartan 01. We need immediate air support, immediate air support." "Roger Murphy. Can I have your ten digit grid." "We need help now! Need immediate CAS." "Roger that, I need your ten digit grid." "We are headed down the ravine toward the Chichakel village." "Murphy can you get me the grids?" "Hurry sir." And then the line went dead. _

_Danny saw Shah, the man they had been sent to kill, appear out of the crowd of soldiers. He was carrying an AK-47, and it was aimed directly at him. Danny smiled. "I can't wait to see you in heaven baby. Don't worry, I don't mind waiting. I'll find a nice bench on a nice like, and I'll sit there and wait on you baby. And then we'll start our last journey. Together." The tears were now pouring down his face. He looked at the paper one last time, slowly grabbed it, and brought it to his chest. And then he looked at Shah and smiled. He was ready. It was about time to take his last trip home. _

_Mike Murphy was on his knees, looking out over the horizon, thinking about all of the plans he and his wife had made. He smiled. "I love you honey. Say hi to my folks for me. We'll see each other again soon. I promise." And then he thought of all the SEAL's in his team. His brothers. He thought about how much he loved them. And he thought about Lucas. "You're gonna be a great man one day Lucas. Great soldier, great leader, a great man overall. I love you brother." And then he looked out over the horizon and the slowly fading sun. "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." He prayed. He stared out one last time, and smiled. "I'll be headed to paradise with a full heart." _

_Lucas had seen the gunshots slow, and then almost stop. He had gotten back to Axe, and was aiming, when he heard the individual gunshots. And he knew. The tears poured down his face as he reloaded his rifle. He was still ready to fight. But inside, his heart cried out, regardless. "God...When is this gonna stop?" _

_Mike heard the gunshots, and vaguely felt them enter his torso. He felt the impact push him over, and he hit the ground. "I always wondered what it would feel like to die." He looked down to the side as he laid there, and saw Lucas. He smiled. "There's a better place awaiting both of us. Heaven is waiting on us. I'll save you a seat at the bar. I'll see you again brother. And always remember Lucas... _

_**Never Out of the fight."**_

Eric, Alex, and Brett landed back at Bagram Air Base a while later. They had only been gone a few hours, but when they walked inside the TOC, it was clear that something was up. Whatever SEAL's weren't rushing around the various desks, computers, and phones were fully geared up, ready to jump on the chopper at a moments notice. "Something has obviously gone wrong since we left." Alex thought to himself as he walked up. He went to Kristensen, and asked, "What's going on Eric?" "Spartan 0-1 has missed 3 windows. Just got off the phone with JOC, and they said not to call until I knew for sure what was going on. Fucking politics." "Roger that. I'll join in with the team. You stay in command, you're more up to speed than I am." "Roger that." The two had just finished talking, and Alex walked back to get ammo from the table in the back with Brett and Eric when a call came on the TOC's speakers. The men all listened in horror as the voice of Mike Murphy came in weak, and for all of those that knew Mike, they could tell he was near the end. The call ended, and the words "Troops in Contact" began to flash on all of the computer screens. Kristensen quickly began to move, yelling, "Let's move guys. Let's really move!" Alex, Brett, and Eric quickly filled up their vests to the full with ammo and moved out behind the last of the soldiers leaving the TOC. Two choppers sat right outside of the SEAL compound. Kristensen took half of the men with him on the first chopper, with Alex and the guys joining the rest of the men on the second chopper. He sat down on the seat closest to the ramp, strapped his helmet back up, and prepared for the half hour ride over to the mountain. The SEAL's were armed to the teeth, and they were coming to bring their boys home. Now all that was left to do was sit back and wait.

The QRF at JBAD quickly suited up and ran for the Blackhawk choppers. They were much closer. They could be at the mountain in ten minutes. The few SEAL's that had stayed along with Marines that had volunteered to go all quickly set up inside,prepared to go save their boys from the Lions Den. The team was just about to lift off when the man who had been operating comms ran up and gave the "Do Not Lift Off" signal. The SEAL in charge, Mussleman, a strong man with a long beard, middle thirties, and extremely loyal to his brothers, ran out of the chopper, yelling as he did so so the comms officer could hear him. "WHATS THE FUCKING PROBLEM?!" "BLACKHAWKS ARE GROUNDED SIR." "WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY GROUNDED?" "BLACKHAWKS CAN'T FLY WITHOUT COVER FROM THE APACHES." "WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE APACHES?!" "ON THEIR WAY BACK! THEY'RE TURNING BACK NOW!" "FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE!" "NO SHIT!" Mussleman walked back to the chopper in a fit of anger, yanking his hand about in a motion that indicated for the men to get off of the chopper. They were grounded with their men in the middle of a fight.

Lucas came back down the side of the mountain, picking his way between rocks to get back to the massive rock that Axe was using for cover. Axe was aiming up the hill, covering Lucas as he ran down. Lucas slid in hard, then backed up against the rock, using it for cover. His breath came out in short gasps, wheezing. "Where's Mikey?" Axe asked. Lucas didn't answer. He couldn't feel anything except pain. He couldn't think anything other than, "This can't be happening." "Where's Murph?" Axe asked again. "Up top." Lucas answered in short gasps, trying to catch his breath. "Where up top?" "Getting the QRF." Axe looked up, his right eye swollen shut, his left trying to see Mike. He didn't see him. "Where exactly is Mike?" Lucas snapped a little bit, the stress of the situation getting to his head. He angrily bit off, "IF I knew exactly where the fuck his is I would tell you brother! Now are you squared away?" Axe looked away, stung, when Lucas saw blood coming from a hole in the back of Axe's head. Lucas shook his head. "Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Lemme see you." He pulled Axe's head towards him, examining the wound. Axe cracked a sad smile. "Did they really shoot me in the fucking head?" "Yeah buddy." The pair were quiet for a minute, then Axe looked up at Lucas. "Are Mikey and Danny really dead?" Lucas looked away, debating whether to share what he knew with Axe, who, with the blood loss and trauma, was beginning to lose it. "I don't know." He finally answered. "Are we dead?" Fuck no. We're solid." Axe was quiet again for a minute, before speaking. "If I die, I need you to make sure Cindy knows how much I love her." "She knows." "And that I died with my brothers. With a full fucking heart." Axe smiled at the last statement. Lucas shook his head. "You're not dying Axe. You're not-" His response was cut off by a massive RPG blast right next to the pair. Both scrambled to move. "Get yourself some real estate!" Axe screamed at Lucas. He only nodded in response, beginning to lose it. Beginning to feel like a hunted animal running out of options.

Kristensen was on the radio in the chopper with Mussleman. "What's the problem?" He asked the grounded SEAL. "The Apaches were pulled." Kristensen shook his head._ "Beginning to look like a cursed op._ Why?" "Some army troops in contact." "Where are they?" "They're saying 10 minutes out." Kristensen looked at the pilots and spoke. "What's the deal with the Apaches? The Blackhawks are grounded at JBad." "Roger that. Blackhawks need the air support." "They should have boots on ground right the fuck now." "Roger that." "Can you put us down without the Apaches?" "We'll do whatever we have to do to get your boys home." Kristensen nodded, slapping the pilot on the back and returning to his seat.

The firefight was short, but it served its purpose. Lucas was pushed farther right and farther right out of the quarry and into the forest. And away from Axe. As soon as the gunshots died, Lucas began to move through the forest, yelling despite knowing that he was heard clearly by the enemy, "AXE?! AXE?!" There was no response. Sighing, Lucas continued on. _"I have to find Axe." _At the same time_, _Axe stumbled through the forest on the opposite side of the ravine, screaming, trying to find his teammate. "LUCAS?! LUCAS?!" Lucas didn't hear Axe. "Fuck. Not fucking good. Not fucking good." He continued to hobble through the forest in the general direction of where he had last seen Axe, his hope beginning to waver, when he heard a faint beating. Far off, in the distance, but steadily growing louder, and louder, and louder, until all of a sudden, he saw the two CH47's fly up the side of the mountain. "YEAHAHA!" He screamed, utter joy filling his soul. Axe, on the other side of the ravine and forest, also screamed. "YASSSSS!" He too, felt the utter joy of knowing someone had come for them, to save them.

Alex looked at Brett and Eric to his right, as he was the first man, closest to the open back of the chopper, shot off a quick prayer, and stood up and turned to the open back. Behind his trusted friends were the new guys, Severide, Casey, Brewer, Clayton, and Bolton. Everyone was here. The soldiers all followed his lead, standing up and facing the back, preparing to rapel. He felt a light grab on his shoulder, and he turned to see Eric, who gave him a reassuring smile and nod. Alex nodded back and spoke into the comms. "Alright gentlemen, lock and load. Let's bring our boys home."

Kristensen and his men did the same as Alex and his men in their chopper. Theirs was to be the first to let the SEAL's out, followed quickly by Alex. _"It's simple. Just slide down the forty foot rope and we're all good. We're gonna be fine_. Let's do this. Patton, you're first, move!" The youngster couldn't help but grin at that. The young man raced up to the front and put a hand on the rope. Kristensen grabbed his shoulder."You good?" He asked. Shane grinned wider and nodded. "Couldn't be more good." "Glorious opportunity here, Mr. Patton." "Yessir." The two had just each put their first foot out of the chopper when all of a sudden the commander saw a small explosion on the ground and the metallic glint of an incoming object. Kristensen felt his blood turn to ice, and screamed, "RPG!" All of the men in the chopper flattened themselves against the wall and watched, horrified, as the rocket stayed on its path and went straight at them, through and into the chopper, and exploded right in the middle.

Lucas's joy turned to horror as he watched the RPG fly through the air, straight on its mark. "No..." But it stayed straight, flew into the CH47, and blew up, the force of the explosion forcing the chopper over the edge of the cliff it had been hovering over, and falling straight down off the edge of the mountain. "FUCKING A!" Lucas screamed, his last shred of hope burning into nothing along with the bodies of the SEAL's that had been in the chopper.

Alex watched in horror as the chopper exploded, split in two, and fell down the edge of the mountain to its fiery death. _"No fucking way anyone survived that. FUCK!"_ Immediately after, rifles and RPG's alike opened up from all over the mountain, all aimed at his chopper. He yanked onto a handhold and watched as the chopper turned around and flew back the way they came, the gunfire still coming in hot and heavy._ "No...I have men down there! I HAVE FUCKING MEN DOWN THERE!"_ He took off towards the cockpit, screaming at the pilots. "PUT US THE FUCK DOWN!" "No fucking way." "PUT US THE FUCK DOWN, GODDAMMIT! I HAVE MEN DOWN THERE!" "Not happening!" Without thinking, Alex yanked the pistol out of his harness and aimed it at the pilots head, about to demand that they let them down when Eric and Brett ran up to him and grabbed him, yanking him back and forcing the gun out of his hand and putting it back in the holster. Alex shook his head and headed back to his spot on the chopper, watching the mountain fade into the distance and wondering,_ "Will I be able to get my boys home?" _In the back of his mind, he heard the chopper pilot talking to the TOC. "We have a fallen angel, repeat, we have a fallen angel. 6-4 is down hard, LZ is too hot. We are having to break contact." _"Just hold on Lucas..."_

Axe, from his side of the ravine, saw it all unfold. He abandoned all wisdom, clumsily running after the chopper, slipping and falling everywhere, screaming, "WAIT! _Come back. Please..."_

Lucas shook his head and looked down as he saw the other chopper turn away and head back the way they came. His begs and pleas came in short gasps. "No. No. No. Fucking no." He watched the choppers, however, continue to go away, back the way they came. _"They're leaving me. They're leaving me and Axe behind."_

Axe stumbled through the woods, yelling, "Lucas!" But his cries became increasingly weak, his steps became more clumsy, he slipped more, and he clearly was beginning to suffer from the trauma and blood loss. He was just hanging on by a thread. But onward the SEAL stumbled, his pistol in hand, down a trail that led only God knew where. He saw a Taliban soldier walk up, and out of instinct and training, yanked up his pistol, pulling the trigger repeatedly, taking the man down. He felt a force slam into the right side of his chest, and felt himself be turned around by the impact of the bullet. He saw the Taliban soldier responsible and yanked his pistol up, pulling the trigger. The man went down, but not before putting another bullet in Axe, this time in his left shoulder. Axe stumbled about for a little bit longer, and then fell, unable to walk any further. He pulled himself forward on his stomach, occasionally lifting up his pistol to fire at any enemies he came across. More bullets came, and more bullets found their mark. Finally, he managed to drag himself up the edge of a tree, pulling himself up to a sitting position so he could at least see what was in front of him. He kept shooting, doing anything he could to delay what he had now admitted to himself was inevitable. But he kept shooting, determined to fight to the last breath. But even he knew that his last breath was not far off. And finally, he pulled the trigger one last time, and his pistol popped to reload. But there were no magazines left. He had fired his last shot. And there was a Taliban right in front of him, about thirty feet away. That soldier pulled his weapon up, and aimed at Axe. Axe couldn't hear, could barely breathe. A bullet had cut through his throat in the fight, and his lungs had slowly began to fill with blood. And now, each raspy breath barely brought any air, and all he could hear was the sound of the blood in his lungs and throat when he breathed. He thought to himself. A first shot came. It hit the tree he was against, a foot above his head. _"I love you Cindy. I don't wanna die, but here I am. I love you so much. Don't worry, I'll see you again soon."_ A second shot came into the tree, another miss, but closer. _"Forgive me for leaving you like this. I didn't want to, but I am. So smile baby, because I'll at last know peace. I am going home."_ And with that last thought, Axe took one final deep breath, and stared at the soldier. The third bullet found its mark.

Lucas stumbled through the forested mountain, trying to find his teammate, screaming, "AXE!" It was the only thing he could do to find his friend. And it also showed the Taliban exactly where he was. Lucas continued to hobble through the boulders and trees, but his danger senses continued to increasingly get louder. And then, he took a step, turned his head, and saw that he was staring into the eyes of a man with an RPG, twenty feet away. He saw it fire, felt the explosion, and felt himself be picked up and thrown over the edge of the massive boulder he was on and down the edge of the mountain. When he finally stopped rolling, he saw that one boulder next to him that he had just rolled over was made out of shale, and that the bottom half had eroded away, leaving him just enough room so that he could slide underneath. He did so as quickly as he could, hearing the voices of the Taliban soldiers moving closer. Lucas held his rifle to his chest, and as he saw the sun begin to set, he thought to himself, "The sunset is so beautiful. That never changes. God, this has been an awful day. Tomorrow will be better. It has to be. I'm gonna be ok." He stayed quiet, and heard the Taliban voices get weaker as they all headed in for the night. The heat of the day began to change to the freezing cold of night. Lucas shivered, and continued to lie there, thinking, "I love my brothers. I can't believe that they're gone. Can't fucking believe it. Shit, Murphy. What the fuck am I gonna tell Brooke? I can't tell her any of this. How can I tell her that her cousin that was like a brother to her died as a hero? How can I tell her that you died saving me? Would she ever forgive me?

Can I ever forgive me?

Brooke, I love you. Hope you had a good day. Or, are about to have a good day, I guess is what it is. I sure didn't. I just wanna tell you how much I love you pretty girl. And how much I don't want to leave you. But, if I'm about too, then know how much I love you, and that I never stopped missing you, half a world away. You're the shining light that kept me going. God, I love you Brooke Davis. That'll never change.

No matter where I am."

And with that final thought, Lucas thought part of it could even be described as a prayer, he fell into a deep dark sleep, underneath a shale rock in a freezing night in the Hindu Kush mountains.

Meanwhile, at the same time, after a colder night than usual in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, in a small town called Tree Hill, a young woman named Brooke Davis woke up, stretched, kissed a picture that Lucas had emailed her of him in his SEAL Spec Ops gear, and went to take a shower, the early morning not yet fully lit. She hurried through that and all of her morning routine, wanting to go meet Karen and Haley for coffee. But when she picked up her phone to call one of the two, she saw forty missed calls and nearly a hundred texts. All of them came from the Army Wives and their crew, all at Fort Marshall. Brooke felt her blood run cold, and called the last person to call her, Roxy LeBlanc. Roxy picked up immediately. "BROOKE! Finally, everyone has been trying to reach you!" "Roxy, what's wrong?" Brooke asked, fear and impending tears creeping into her voice. "I can't tell you over the phone. Look, you just need to get down the base now." "Rox...is it Lucas?" "...Just get down here Brooke. If you can drive, drive yourself. I don't think you're gonna want to bring someone else to hear this." Brooke hung up the phone, stifled a sob, and forced herself to grab a bag that she always had packed for emergencies, her keys, and she took off for her car, and found herself quickly on the interstate, driving as fast as she could to Fort Marshall.

Fort Marshall. It was the center of the Joint Operations Command, as well as where almost all special forces, from every branch of the military, were based out of in a new attempt to bring the special operations communities of all branches closer together. It served its purpose well, as the communities of all branches stationed there were as close as could be. And while that was almost always good, it also meant that bad news traveled exceptionally fast. And as Brooke drove into the base, and towards the residential areas, and then into the neighborhood where the base commander, General Michael Holden, and his wife, Claudia Joy, lived. Brooke saw the many cars of her friends in the Army, who had stayed close with her, despite the fact that Lucas had become a SEAL, and most likely would, although he was still technically in the Army as well as the Navy, not deploy with the Army again. Brooke checked her makeup, trying her best to cover up how she had cried the entire way down, steeled herself, and walked into the massive plantation style house. She was immediately greeted by multiple hugs from everyone of the Army Wives, as well as Roland, Joan, and General Michael Holden. Finally, after initial greetings were shared and everyone took a seat in the living room, Roxy spoke. "Brooke, we told you to come today because the General told us to tell you. He said that he had news for you. Bad news. And he wanted us to be here for you when he told you. We've heard rumors, but we haven't heard anything for sure. So...General?" "Thank you Roxy. What I'm about to tell you is confidential, but I felt like you, Brooke, as well as your supporting cast of Wives and others, deserved to know. Yesterday, Operation Red Wings was launched by the Navy SEAL's. It's objective was to take out a big name Taliban leader, and all of that I can't get into. Point being, is that somehow, during the mission, the four man recon team of SEAL's that was inserted was discovered, which led to a massive firefight. A call was made by the leader of that team, which brought in the SEAL's to come save them. TwoCH47's chock full of them. When they got there, one of the choppers was shot down. All inside were KIA." Brooke and the others gasped, and all felt fresh tears come into their eyes. "Other than the call with the SAT phone in the middle of the battle, The recon team has not made contact with the TOC since the morning that it all went bad, which was last night for us. But after the QRF, which couldn't make it to the men when they made the final call in the middle of the firefight, orbited the site, and we believe three of the men to be KIA." Brooke felt the tears began to fall. "The first two were Matt Axelson and Danny Dietz." Brooke put her head in her hands. "Oh my god..." The general sighed, and spoke. "The leader, the man who made the call and is believed to be KIA,is your cousin Michael Murphy." Brooke began to sob, and all of those in the room other than the general quickly surrounded her and held her. Brooke sobbed uncontrollably for nearly ten minutes, with everyone holding her, whispering comfort to her, doing everything that they could to try and help her. Finally, she regained a little bit of composure and looked up to see tears falling from the face of the General, who was just standing there. "General...who was the fourth man?" He looked up from the ground, the tearstains clearly visible. "The fourth man on the SEAL's recon team-" He said, his voice quivering, "-was Lucas."


	21. Chapter 19

_**(A/N: Happy fourth everyone! As this is a story heavy on the military, and I do so love the military, just wanna remind y'all to thank the Lord for the soldiers and leaders in our country that make it the best country in the world. And, also, and it kills me to mention this, as I forgot to put it in the last update, 6 days ago, last Sunday, was the ten year anniversary of Operation Red Wings, the true story upon which Lone Survivor and this section of my story are based. Just little reminders. Hope y'all are having and continue to have a nice break!)**_

_Previously:_

_Lucas stumbled through the forested mountain, trying to find his teammate, screaming, "AXE!" It was the only thing he could do to find his friend. And it also showed the Taliban exactly where he was. Lucas continued to hobble through the boulders and trees, but his danger senses continued to increasingly get louder. And then, he took a step, turned his head, and saw that he was staring into the eyes of a man with an RPG, twenty feet away. He saw it fire, felt the explosion, and felt himself be picked up and thrown over the edge of the massive boulder he was on and down the edge of the mountain. When he finally stopped rolling, he saw that one boulder next to him that he had just rolled over was made out of shale, and that the bottom half had eroded away, leaving him just enough room so that he could slide underneath. He did so as quickly as he could, hearing the voices of the Taliban soldiers moving closer. Lucas held his rifle to his chest, and as he saw the sun begin to set, he thought to himself, _"The sunset is so beautiful. That never changes. God, this has been an awful day. Tomorrow will be better. It has to be. I'm gonna be ok."_ He stayed quiet, and heard the Taliban voices get weaker as they all headed in for the night. The heat of the day began to change to the freezing cold of night. Lucas shivered, and continued to lie there, thinking,___"I love my brothers. I can't believe that they're gone. Can't fucking believe it. Shit, Murphy. What the fuck am I gonna tell Brooke? I can't tell her any of this. How can I tell her that her cousin that was like a brother to her died as a hero? How can I tell her that you died saving me? Would she ever forgive me?

Can I ever forgive me?

Brooke, I love you. Hope you had a good day. Or, are about to have a good day, I guess is what it is. I sure didn't. I just wanna tell you how much I love you pretty girl. And how much I don't want to leave you. But, if I'm about too, then know how much I love you, and that I never stopped missing you, half a world away. You're the shining light that kept me going. God, I love you Brooke Davis. That'll never change.

No matter where I am."

_And with that final thought, Lucas thought part of it could even be described as a prayer, he fell into a deep dark sleep, underneath a shale rock in a freezing night in the Hindu Kush mountains. _

_Meanwhile, at the same time, after a colder night than usual in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, in a small town called Tree Hill, a young woman named Brooke Davis woke up, stretched, kissed a picture that Lucas had emailed her of him in his SEAL Spec Ops gear, and went to take a shower, the early morning not yet fully lit. She hurried through that and all of her morning routine, wanting to go meet Karen and Haley for coffee. But when she picked up her phone to call one of the two, she saw forty missed calls and nearly a hundred texts. All of them came from the Army Wives and their crew, all at Fort Marshall. Brooke felt her blood run cold, and called the last person to call her, Roxy LeBlanc. Roxy picked up immediately. "BROOKE! Finally, everyone has been trying to reach you!" "Roxy, what's wrong?" Brooke asked, fear and impending tears creeping into her voice. "I can't tell you over the phone. Look, you just need to get down the base now." "Rox...is it Lucas?" "...Just get down here Brooke. If you can drive, drive yourself. I don't think you're gonna want to bring someone else to hear this." Brooke hung up the phone, stifled a sob, and forced herself to grab a bag that she always had packed for emergencies, her keys, and she took off for her car, and found herself quickly on the interstate, driving as fast as she could to Fort Marshall. _

_Fort Marshall. It was the center of the Joint Operations Command, as well as where almost all special forces, from every branch of the military, were based out of in a new attempt to bring the special operations communities of all branches closer together. It served its purpose well, as the communities of all branches stationed there were as close as could be. And while that was almost always good, it also meant that bad news traveled exceptionally fast. And as Brooke drove into the base, and towards the residential areas, and then into the neighborhood where the base commander, General Michael Holden, and his wife, Claudia Joy, lived. Brooke saw the many cars of her friends in the Army, who had stayed close with her, despite the fact that Lucas had become a SEAL, and most likely would, although he was still technically in the Army as well as the Navy, not deploy with the Army again. Brooke checked her makeup, trying her best to cover up how she had cried the entire way down, steeled herself, and walked into the massive plantation style house. She was immediately greeted by multiple hugs from everyone of the Army Wives, as well as Roland, Joan, and General Michael Holden. Finally, after initial greetings were shared and everyone took a seat in the living room, Roxy spoke. "Brooke, we told you to come today because the General told us to tell you. He said that he had news for you. Bad news. And he wanted us to be here for you when he told you. We've heard rumors, but we haven't heard anything for sure. So...General?" "Thank you Roxy. What I'm about to tell you is confidential, but I felt like you, Brooke, as well as your supporting cast of Wives and others, deserved to know. Yesterday, Operation Red Wings was launched by the Navy SEAL's. It's objective was to take out a big name Taliban leader, and all of that I can't get into. Point being, is that somehow, during the mission, the four man recon team of SEAL's that was inserted was discovered, which led to a massive firefight. A call was made by the leader of that team, which brought in the SEAL's to come save them. TwoCH47's chock full of them. When they got there, one of the choppers was shot down. All inside were KIA." Brooke and the others gasped, and all felt fresh tears come into their eyes. "Other than the call with the SAT phone in the middle of the battle, The recon team has not made contact with the TOC since the morning that it all went bad, which was last night for us. But after the QRF, which couldn't make it to the men when they made the final call in the middle of the firefight, orbited the site, and we believe three of the men to be KIA." Brooke felt the tears began to fall. "The first two were Matt Axelson and Danny Dietz." Brooke put her head in her hands. "Oh my god..." The general sighed, and spoke. "The leader, the man who made the call and is believed to be KIA,is your cousin Michael Murphy." Brooke began to sob, and all of those in the room other than the general quickly surrounded her and held her. Brooke sobbed uncontrollably for nearly ten minutes, with everyone holding her, whispering comfort to her, doing everything that they could to try and help her. Finally, she regained a little bit of composure and looked up to see tears falling from the face of the General, who was just standing there. "General...who was the fourth man?" He looked up from the ground, the tearstains clearly visible. "The fourth man on the SEAL's recon team-" He said, his voice quivering, "-was Lucas." _

The next morning, Lucas felt his eyes slowly open as he was awoken by the soft sound of the morning birds. After a deep, dark, refreshing sleep, he awoke in a state of peaceful bliss. But that state only lasted for a second. The second he tried to move, even just the tiniest movement, pain exploded all over his body. The pain shocked Lucas back into reality, and Lucas bit his lip as hard as he could and squeezed his eyes shut to try and stop any noise from coming out of his mouth, for fear of the Taliban finding him. All of a sudden, the video, of Shah and Taraq executing the "traitors", that was shown in the PLO before the op became much more real to him. Lucas began to hyperventilate_. "Oh my God. Oh my God. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die!" _His fight or flight instinct kicked in, and Lucas immediately slid out to start running away from...everything, even though he knew it wasn't possible. But the pain was unbearable, and Lucas knew, at least for the time being, he wasn't moving, and certainly not running. The pain did force him to stop and think though, and he began to force himself to calm down._ "Alright, chill out Luke. You're gonna be fine. Now, inventory yourself, your gear, figure out what's wrong. And whatever you do, remember, don't flip out. Mike and Danny and Axe gave up too much for you to let the Taliban find you because you flipped out like a little girl. Now, inventory yourself and get to Chickakel village so you can make comms."_ Lucas nodded to himself, assuring himself of the thought, and began to go through with the inventory. "_Alright, gun. Check. Ammo, Sixty rounds total, one clip in the gun, two in my vest. Frags, one. Med kit...shit. That got dropped early in the firefight last night."_ Luke sighed. He could really use that med kit. _"Alright, Myself. Gunshot wounds to the hip area and front of my chest right next to my left shoulder. Looks like leg to. Shrapnel in my left leg, along with what looks like one bullet. All in all, I'm in pretty bad fucking shape. But I'm a SEAL, so no big deal. I can do this. Alright, mission. Original mission is no longer a go. I just gotta focus on making comms and gettign airlifted the fuck outta here. Alright, best chance of that is if I head down to the village and see if I can steal a phone or something. Alright Lucas, you can do this, now get up and head out."_ Lucas inwardly groaned as he picked himself up from laying underneath the rock to a standing position, leaning against the rock, and he pointing his gun in all directions he could see to make sure that no soldiers saw him. Then, satisfied that he was safe to move for the time being, Lucas began to hobble off, His left leg not moving or bending in any way shape or form other than moving forward when he forced it to. The awkward and loud walk was necessary for Lucas though, as every time he bent his leg, he felt shrapnel move all around in his leg, and the pain was excruciating. _"Focus Luke. For Brooke. For Danny. For Axe. For Mike. You can do this."_

Alex walked about the JOC at Bagram Air Force Base in front of generals, colonels, commanders, and pretty much every rank in between. And all of them could have him court martialed on the spot for speaking to them in such a manner. But he didn't care. His boys were out there, and he was going to get them back. "Whatever it takes. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FUCKING STUPID THIS IS! FUCKING IDIOTIC! AS SOON AS Y'ALL FIND OUT THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET SHAH, Y'ALL LEAVE MY MEN TO DIE OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NO WHERE BECAUSE THE INTELLIGENCE THAT THIS FUCKING GROUP GAVE ME WAS FUCKED UP! YOU SAID TEN GUYS MAX! KNOW WHY MY CHOPPER WAS SHOT DOWN?! BECAUSE THERE'S A MINIFUCKING ARMY DOWN THERE, THAT'S WHY! Y'ALL FUCKED UP, Y'ALL NEED TO FUCKING DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" Alex knew he was pretty intimidating. He was completely geared up, fully ready for battle at any moment, gun and everything, he was 6'3, extremely muscular, and to say he was pissed was an understatement of massive proportions. "I SWEAR TO GOD, IF ANY MORE OF MY MEN DIE OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU ABANDONED THEM, I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I AVENGE THAT. SO WHY DON'T YOU OLD FAT MOTHERFUCKERS GET UP AND SEND YOUR SOLDIERS TO DO WHAT THEY COME OVER HERE TO DO. OH, AND IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN CHECKED OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN USUAL, THEY WERE SENT OVER HERE TO FUCKING FIGHT!" And with that, Alex turned around and stormed out, pulling his tan ballcap on as he walked outside. Brett and Eric, who had been sitting outside of the JOC building near the runway, quickly got up and fell into stop with im. "What'd they say?" Eric asked. "They said it was a fucking no go." "Why?!" Brett immediately asked, flipping out. "Don't wanna have anymore fucked up shit happening. Bad for their promotion boards. It's all fucking political." "What if I told y'all that we could get back in anyways?" Eric asked. Alex and Brett both looked at him like he was crazy. "And how the fuck could we do that?" Alex asked. Eric shrugged. "Last night, after we got back from the op, the pilot and I struck up a conversation while we were waiting to be taken back out. He said that he would get us back in. He said that he would drop us on the opposite mountain, the one on the other side of the valley from where we inserted and the firefight happened. If you two don't mind walking, then we can get in." "The only downside is that there is a mini fucking army out there! And we have no idea where the fuck Lucas is. The other three are already dead. And that valley is a big fucking place to search for one guy." Brett argued. "Except we know where he is going. He's heading for the village." Alex said. "And how the fuck would we know that?" "Because that's what Murphy would have done." Alex responded flatly. He nodded to himself, thinking. "Alright. We're going. Go grab the rest of your gear from your rooms. Eric, call the pilot and tell him to meet us with the chopper near the compound. Alex looked up at the brilliant sunrise. "Tell him to hurry. Let's try and get out before too many people wake up or notice we're gone."

Lucas stumbled along the path that led down the mountain towards what looked like could be the very far outskirts of the village. The awkward stumble was tiresome, and despite the fact that it was pretty early in the morning, and Lucas had slept for a good while, he was already exhausted. There was no adrenaline pumping like there had been during the firefight, and all of them pain was white hot and felt all over. There was no relief in any way, shape, or form. Eh continued to stumble along, trying his best to be quiet and stealthy, but due to his injuries, he was failing miserably. And Lucas knew that. He knew that if he didn't get water soon, his already impaired judgment and fighting ability would become even worse. He needed water, and he needed it badly. He continued to stumble along, and finally saw the trail end near a mountain spring. Lucas sw it, and excitedly stumbled forwards and fell into the deep spring face first. He pulled himself up and began to drink as quickly as he could, cupping the water in his hands and drinking from the little pool of water in his hands. He did so for about thirty seconds when he felt a presence approach near him. He looked up slowly and saw a middle eastern man, middle aged, and a kid standing there. But Lucas knew that he had almost no friends there, if any. He immediately pulled himself back to the bank and yanked out his last grenade, put his finger in the pin, and held it up for the man to see. "Stay back!" "Taliban nishta." The man said kindly, using motions that seemed to say he wasn't what he was saying. Lucas grimace on the inside, however, because he honestly had no idea. The man was speaking in Pashto, one of the languages of mountainous Afghanistan, and one in which Lucas was not affluent. "I don't care. You understand? I don't care. I will kill us all." Lucas continued to threaten, in reality thinking, _"Please just go away. I'm begging you, just go away."_ "Taliban nishta." The man said again. Lucas was about to continue arguing, but he heard the voices of Taliban all of a sudden explode, and when he turned around to look at his trail he saw in horror that blood was all along it. They were tracking him, and they would find him in no time. "_Alright Luke. You've gotta trust somebody at some point."_ The man, who seemed to be the leader of the group of men who had since appeared, held out a hand to Lucas. Lucas, still holding onto the grenade, took it, and was pulled up by the man. Instantly another man was underneath one of Lucas's arms, the man who had pulled him out under the other, and they began to carry Lucas back to the village.

Alex looked out of the side of the blackhawk as it slowly began to come to a hover at the new LZ. Alex looked at Brett and Eric and asked them one final time. "Are y'all sure y'all wanna do this?" The two men nodded, and Alex nodded back. He grabbed the pilot by the shoulder. "Thank you sir." "Go get your man Commander. We're ready and waiting when you do." "Roger that." Alex headed to the edge of the chopper and grabbed the rope, jumped out of the chopper, and slid down to the ground. His men quickly followed. _"Let's go get Lucas."_

Lucas was brought into the village, still being carried. The people in the village looked at him and the men that were helping him, shocked. Lucas couldn't blame them. Quite frankly, he was still shocked himself. The man brought him into a house and set him down on a mattress, with Lucas still holding the grenade. Several men were already in the room, giving him looks. One of curiosity, one of no interest, and one was looking at him with anger and hate. "Name?" Lucas asked the man who had talked to him and helped him. "Gulab. Americanil?" "Americans?" "Americanil?" "You know where to find the Americans?" Gulab nodded, and Lucas pulled out the map of the region f Afghanistan, complete with notes for the op. He pointed to the map. "Show me where we are." Gulab took the map, pondered it for a moment, and pointed to a spot. Lucas quickly began to right a note on the back of the sheet, and handed it to Gulab. "Give this to the Americans at the base." Gulab nodded, seeming to understand when Lucas pointed to the spot where the QRF was at. He handed it to a man with a walking stick, and the man nodded and walked out. The man who had looked at him with hate, meanwhile, began to yell. Gulab got up and walked over, and the two began to get into a heated argument. The man looked over at Lucas again with anger and shook his head. "Who is that? "Who is that? Who is that?" Lucas pulled the grenade out again. "Do you see what I have? I'll fucking kill us all. I don't care. He knows something. You tell him I'll fuckign kill us all. You look me in my eyes, and ask do you think I give a fuck? I don't go home, you don't go home." Gulab threw the man out, and then came back to calm Lucas. "Rasha, rasha, rasha." Lucas looked Gulab straight in his eyes. "Why do you help me? Why do you help me? Do you help me?" Gulab nodded and started speaking in his own language. Lucas nodded, and felt himself slowly fall into a deep abyss of sleep.

Lucas awoke to the sound of women running around, terrified, and men yelling. He began to panic. "Oh shit, I've been found. Oh shit. Oh shit." His breath immediately picked up pace ,and he began to hyperventilate, fear taking over him. But then he saw the little kid, Gulab's son, who just looked out of the window, appearing completely unafraid, not even seeming to care. "I will not get bested by a child. I am a SEAL." And with that, he was able to calm down. He heard the voices continue to argue, and Lucas, his curiosity taking over, put his grenade down and went to take a look at the commotion outside. It was a mistake. All of a sudden, Taliban ran in the room. Lucas whipped around and dived for his grenade, but it was too late. They got to him first. Lucas summoned all of his strength and swung as hard as he could at the first Taliban in his way and connected, drilling him with a nasty right hook across the side of his face. The man's head snapped back, but Lucas was quickly tackled by the remaining two Taliban and dragged outside. That's where Lucas saw Taraq right in front of him. Taraq grabbed his hair and pulled Lucas's face up and quickly drilled him with a punch knocking him out of the grip of the Taliban and onto the ground. The men picked him back up and began to drag hi to the edge of the village, towards a log that seemed very familiar to him. And then it clicked. That had been where the execution took place. Lucas began to resist again, writhing to get out of the grip of the men, yelling, "No, no, no! Not fucking happening! Get the fuck off of me!" He screamed all of this and more up to the log, where they slammed him down, his head the only thing hanging off of the edge of the log. "FUCK YOU!" Lucas screamed at Taraq, who was squatting in front of him, holding his head up by his hair again. Taraq screamed something in his own language and drilled Lucas again. "FUCK YOU!" "FUCK YOU AMERICANIL!" Taraq screamed, punching him on both sides of his face this time. '"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Lucas screamed as he was drilled in the face time and time again. Then Taraq pulled out his machete. "I''m gonna cut off your head and send it to your American friends."FUCKING DO IT! JUST FUCKING DO IT!" Lucas screamed at Taraq. _"God I'm scared out of my mind. Help me!" _Taraq stood up and lifted the machete high in the air, screaming something in his own laguage. "So this is how it ends." Lucas closed his eyes tight, when all of a sudden-

Gunshots.

Gulab and all of the villagers stood there with their AK's pointed at the Taliban. "This is my guest." Gulab said, in Pashto. "Leave our village." "For an American you will die?" Taraq responded. "I'd fucking listen to him." Lucas recognized a familiar voice, and whipped his head around to see three SEAL's, Alex, Brett, and Eric, standing there with their weapons pointed at Taraq. "Stay the fuck away from this village Taraq." Alex finished. And with that, Taraq turned around and walked away, but not before offering an ominous sounding threat.

After the Taliban were gone, Alex rushed over to help Lucas, picking him up, along with Eric, and walking him back to the house that he had been dragged out of. As soon as he was set down, Lucas began to speak to the men. "Go help the villagers. They need it. They're farmers, not soldiers. And the Taliban IS coming." "That they are. Rest up Lucas." Alex responded. And with that, the SEAL's walked out to begin helping the villagers prepare.

After an ordeal with the child, and eventually Gulab himself, to get a knife, Lucas decided that he needed to pull the shrapnel out. "Hell, with all of these village elders having a heated discussion about us, might as well block them out with the sounds of my pain." And with that, Lucas began to open the wounds with the knife and pull the shrapnel out of his leg with his hand, all while holding the wound open with a knife. It was bloody, and it was painful. nd afterwards, the pain was so bad that Lucas passed out.

He awoke the next morning early. Gulab brought in breakfast, and he, Lucas, and Gulab's son began to eat. _"Better get my strength up. It all goes down today."_

Alex walked up to Brett andd pulled them aside. "Status report?" he asked. Eric went first. "Helped them clean their weapons, distribute ammo, and set up a solid defensive perimeter." Brett continued the report. "But sir, these are farmers with AK's, not soldiers. And because of the treeline and mountains, no way we'll see em coming. And, of course, with no comms, and us technically AWOL, we better hope to God that that walker they told us about is almost there like they said he would be, because every minute is going to count." Alex nodded. "Alright, we all got silenced MK11's like Lucas did. They'll work as assault rifles, but better at distance. Get inside the village, use the buildings for cover, and set up to defend the perimeter. This is the last day gentleman. One way or another, we're going home. Let's try not to let the Haji's enjoy themselves to much, roger?" "Roger that." The two subordinates said in unison.

Lucas was eating, and began to have a conversation with Gulab and his son about the patches on his uniform. Gulab pointed to the Texas patch on his shoulder pocket. "Americanil?" Lucas shook his head in between bites. "Texas?" "Tex?" The little boy asked. Lucas shook his head. "Texas." He said, pointing at the American flag and Texas flag patches. "Texas. Yes, America is Texas." There was silence for a moment, and then Lucas asked Gulaba question. "Why are you doing this for me?" He never got a response, because an explosion from an RPG took out a wall of the house. The attack had begun.

"SHIFT BACK ERIC!" "ROGER THAT." Eric yelled back over the radio at Alex. "BRETT, COVER THE NORTH ENTRANCE WHILE ERIC BREAKS CONTACT, THEN SHIFT BACK. SLOWLY BUT SURELY GIVING GROUND GENTLEMAN. STAY TOO LONG AND YOU'RE FUCKED." "ROGER THAT." Alex, Brett, and Eric, along with the men from the village fought hard and with courage, but the numbers of the Taliban were simply overwhelming. They were giving ground too fast, and they were about to be taken out of the village completely.

Lucas was bullrushed by a massive Taliban soldier, picked up, and slammed. He was thrown all over the place, and he tried to fight back, but he finally had run out of strength to fight. The Taliban soldier punched him, kicked him and slammed him down repeatedly. He finally put Lucas on the ground and began to choke him. Lucas struggled back, but he saw the spots in his eyes, and Lucas knew that he simply didn't have the strength to fight. And then, all of a sudden, the boy who had dissapeared when the Taliban soldier showed up came crawling back, yelling, "Chaku!" Lucas was confused, and then remembered the night before and the problem with getting a knife. "A chaku is a knife!" Lucas grabbed it, stabbed the man, flipped him over, and exerted the last little bit of strength he had and slammed the knife down through the Taliban soldier.

Alex pulled the trigger four times, taking out two soldiers with two different groupings of shots. Brett and Eric used similar technique, and it worked well, but the Taliban in open space, hundreds of them, were simply too many. And then, all of a sudden, Alex heard choppers come roaring in, and rounds from an AC-130 come screaming in. The Taliban began to run, and Alex smiled._ "They got Lucas's note."_

Lucas was lying on the ground, utterly exhausted, when pararescue soldiers came in. "Lucas Scott?" Lucas nodded, his eyes closed. "Lucas, you're safe now." The two nearest pararescuemen came and picked up Lucas, his arms stretched over their shoulders. They carried him out of the house and to the chopper, when all of a sudden, Lucas stopped them, and turned around to see an injured Gulab, courtesy of Taraq, who Alex had killed. "He comes with me!" "I'm sorry Lucas. We can't do that." They began to walk again, when LUcas stopped them one last time and looked at Gulab, tears pouring our of Lucas's eyes. "Thank you! Thank you!" Gulab smiled wide, and nodded, somewhat bowing. The little child ran up, and Lucas kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry Lucas," The pararescuemen interrupted, "but we have to go." They brought Lucas to the MEDEVAC, where the medics began to work on him. Lucas felt himself begin to drift off. Lucas turned his head towards the open chopper door, and looked out on the landscape, the mountains and forests that they were passing over. _"There's a storm inside of us. I've heard many team guys speak of this. A burning. A river. A drive. An unrelenting desire to push yourself harder and further than anyone could think possible. Pushing ourselves into those dark cold corners where the bad things live. Where the bad things fight. We wanted that fight at the highest volume. The loud fight. The loudest, coldest, hottest, most unpleasant of the unpleasant fights."_ The chopper came in to the Bagram strip, where there was an ambulance and huge team of medics ready to rush Lucas to the operating room at the hospital. _"Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and fear of reputation that I am bound to uphold."_ They did so with precision and care, getting him into the operating room quickly. They hooked Lucas up to the various machines, and quickly found that Lucas's heart wasn't beating. Chest compressions and shocks began. _"I died up on that mountain. There's no question a part of me will forever be up on that mountain, dead, as my brothers died." _The machine was flatlining, and Lucas's eyes began to glaze over, the few breaths he had taken were slowing down. _"But, there is a part of me that lived. Because of my brothers, because of them, I am still alive, and I can never forget that no matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, how far you fall..." _

The machine registered a tiny heartbeat.

_**"You are never out of the fight."**_


	22. Chapter 20

Brooke paced back and forth. It was late, almost midnight, but she was waiting at the Holden's residence, as she had been since she had gotten there, for any news about Lucas. It had been a long two days, and she was worrying herself sick. "Just find a way to CALL!" The army wives had kept her company, and General Holden had checked in whenever he could with any updates. "It's gonna be ok baby. No news is good news." Roxy said. Brooke sat down next to her on the couch in the Holden's living room and cried into Roxy's shoulder. "It's all gonna be ok baby."

All of a sudden, a tired General Holden walked in. All the wives in the room immediately stood up. "Lucas?" Brooke asked hesitantly. "A rescue op was launched. They recovered the bodies of the other three men. And as for Lucas, they tracked him to a small village. A team of SEAL's went in off the books and secured him. The actual rescue came in during a firefight. They grabbed Lucas and took him back to Bagram, where they're treating him. They nearly lost him on the chopper back to base, but they have him. He's stable and going to make a full recovery." He smiled, and Brooke fell to her knees, crying happy tears. "Lucas is going to be ok."

Lucas woke up to the midday sun shining down on his hospital bed. He remembered everything, including his thoughts on the way in. "If I ever get the chance, I'm gonna write a book about this. And those words, word for word, are going in there." He rolled his head over and looked at the man who was sitting in the room's chair. Alex Martin. Alex immediately rushed over when he saw that Lucas was awake. "Hey brother, how are you feeling?" "Pretty fucked up." "I understand." "Did we get the bodies?" "Yeah brother. We got 'em." "When's the service?" "We're gonna do it for them all when you can get up and walk outta here. Doc said in about a week." "Alright. Thanks brother. Let Brooke know I'm ok." "I gotcha. Catch some sleep brother." "Roger that."

ONE WEEK LATER

Brett woke up thrashing around, breathing heavily. Another nightmare about Red Wings. _"They're not gonna stop."_ He felt the tears slide down his face, and as he slammed his face down into the pillow to keep the other soldiers from hearing his sobs, all he could do was cry harder. Because every time he closed his eyes, the faces of the men who didn't make it flashed before his eyes. Finally, he let it all out in a scream. "GOD, WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN ME? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!" And he returned to his bed, the tears wetting his pillow, while Brett cried harder because of the eerie silence left by his fallen brothers.

Eric sat up, gasping, as he watched gunshots from Taraq hit him, Alex, and Brett, along with Lucas, just as they boarded the chopper. "It's just a dream Eric. Calm down. That didn't happen.

At least not to me."

Eric shook his head, sighed, and looked out to see the first rays of morning light. But just like the mornings since he had gotten back from the little rogue op that was staged to get Lucas out, he realized that he didn't feel like getting up. He shook his head, sighed, and laid back down, and tried to block out the mental images of the dead soldiers.

Alex Martin walked around the base, despite the time. He was in jeans, boots, and a T shirt, but looked like a man on a mission nonetheless. It was early in the morning, just as the sun was starting to show that it would be coming up soon. He sighed, ran his hands across the face covered in brown stubble, and wondered, _"Why God? Why on earth did you let this happen? And if it had to happen, why did it have to happen to me? Why can't you give me answers? Help me figure this out? Because I've got to be there and explain and understand Red Wings, and I don't. I don't know why it messed up so bad. I don't know why so many had to die for one man. I don't know anything except our orders. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? Help me. God, there is no way I can do this on my own."_ He walked to the far edge of the base, slid through the hole in the fence that he and Murphy had cut for races, and kept walking, out into the desert, to "the spot." It was a little clear spot on the edge a river canyon. The view was beautiful, and more than anything else, it was a great place to think. A place to reflect, a place to pray. Somewhere just for the SEAL's. It had been where he had come to think and pray for a long time. It was where he came on his first deployment, when he was worried if he would be alive to get back for his high school graduation. It was where he came his second deployment when he desperately missed his close circle of friends. It was where he came his third deployment when he lost his first best friend Mac to the Taliban on the side of a mountain, so much like the one where Red Wings had taken place. It was where came his fourth deployment when Tori left him. It was where he came his fifth deployment to pray she would stay with him this time around. It was where he came his sixth deployment when he learned that he and Tori had lost their first child. It was where he came his seventh deployment when all of his friends graduated from college, where he watched the ceremony via up link to his samsung s4 l, had a video chat with all of them, and where they though he cried tears of joy for them, when he was actually crying tears of pain, because he had watched two SEAL's sacrifice themselves for him and his squad in the mountains that morning. It was a call he wasn't supposed to make, and he had made it because of the sacrifice of his team. And he wasn't able to tell his friends. And it was where he came, at the midway point of his eighth deployment, to cry, to weep, for his brothers that had gone to meet their maker. And it was there, in the present, when a FaceTime call came in on his phone. And Alex knew he couldn't ignore it, because he didn't get many chances to talk with them over video. He wiped his eyes, and pressed the accept button. "Hey guys." The group consisted of Andre, one of the guys he grew up with, a close friend who also happened to be a singer, Robbie, a nerd that also happened to be some kind of computer genius that was on contract with the military to work from home, fixing software in the drones, Cat, a beautiful tan brunette with blonde highlights who also happened to be his step sister, Jade, a somewhat violent emo girl with a heart of gold, and Tori, his beautiful tall half hispanic wife, the girl that he had loved with all of his heart since the ninth grade, and who he had been in a relationship with since his junior year. _"God I'm so lucky to have them."_ "Alex, what's wrong?" Tori asked, immediately recognizing that something was wrong. "Nothing babe." He lied. "What's up?" He continued. "Don't lie to us Alex. We know you too well." This came from Cat. "I'm not-" "You can talk to us Alex." This statement came again coming from Cat. "No y'all, I can't. I can't talk about what happened. I never can. And I never will." "Alex-" Alex pressed the end call button, cutting off his wife. He put his chin on his knuckles, his arms resting on his knees, wondering, "Am I done?"

Tori set the tablet down, and wiped the tears out of her eyes. Never, not one single time, had he ever even ended a call with her, let alone cut her off mid sentence with everyone around. All of the people he loved, and he had completely cut them out. She didn't know how to deal with the pain, except for one way. "Grab some paper y'all. If we can't call, then we'll write." And as the paper was passed out among the group, she began to write.

_"Dear Alex,_

_It's me, your wife. You know, the girl you married last year? Can you remember me? It's been too long since we've seen one another. I miss you so much that I can't even put into words what I'm feeling._

_It's a Saturday here in Mobile. The rain is coming down from the Alabama sky in yet another awful thunderstorm, which of course, never grows old in the rainiest city. It fits the mood rather appropriately. See, you might not remember this in a few weeks when you get this letter, but you just hung up on me and all of our friends. You will never know what that did to me, or to Cat and Andre and everyone else. You hurt us. You're not the only one who is fighting baby. Remember that. _

_Sweetheart, the look in your eyes...it's haunting. I looked into your eyes and all I saw was darkness. A cold blank stare. And baby, I have loved you since high school, and I have loved you through all of your time as a SEAL, even when I was crazy enough to leave, but this new you...Alex, it's haunting. You are a good man Alex. One if the best. But I'm scared baby, because I don't know what's happening to you. All of a sudden, it's like these deployments are beginning to pull us apart. And as much as I know you don't want to admit it, it might be time for you to come home...and stay. I know that the military is pretty much all you've ever known, but there comes a time when enough is enough. Maybe it's about that time._

_I don't pretend to understand this part of you Alex. I don't pretend to understand why you insist on going back over there every time you get home. I don't pretend to understand why you fight like you do when it clearly takes a huge toll on you. I don't pretend to understand anything about you and the SEAL's and everything y'all do over there. I don't understand almost any of it._

_But what I do know is that you're the man I love, and that whatever it takes to grow our relationship, I'm willing to do it. I love you, and I love us. We can do this together baby. I know we can. But it's a two way street, and that means you have to start opening up to me._

_You heard me right. I said you have to start opening up. I know that you say it's for the best that I don't hear what happens over there, but you need to start talking to someone. And where better to start than your wife?_

_Don't be ashamed baby. You're fighting for your country, and you're doing an amazing job of it. Everyone back home is so proud of you. I just want you back safe and sound in my arms, but that doesn't change tale fact that I am so proud of you and what you're doing. You have nothing to be ashamed of._

_Just remember baby, I love you. I always will. I'm not going anywhere. With Love_

_Tori"_

She folded hers up, put it in an envelope, and then the friends all piled in cars to go to the post office to mail the letters together, and then walk out to the airports tarmac to pray.

Brett walked into the hospital located at Bagram Air Force Base. As he walked through the many passageways, he couldn't help but begin to open his eyes to what was going on. He was a patriot, he loved his country, and he would do anything she asked of him. And he also felt that what they were doing in the middle east, combating the spread of the likes of ISIS and other radicals, among other things, was the right thing to do. But as he walked through the hospital, seeing all the injuries, and as he thought about the deaths of his brothers, he began to wonder, "Is it still worth it?"

Jack walked up to the spot, intending to have some alone time to contemplate the previous week, but saw that he would not be alone. "At least it's someone tolerable like Alex." He walked up, sat down, and gazed out on the view. "Am I crazy to still be doing this?" Jack looked over, surprised that Alex was speaking to him, as they didn't know each other very well. "Sir?" "I said, am I crazy to still be doing this?" "Where's this coming from sir?" "Tori, my wife, and all of my closest friends just called. I just straight up hung up on them. I don't know what to do anymore. I can't tell them anything about what I do, they think I'm burned out, I feel burned out, and I just don't know anymore." "I don't think you are sir. How many ranking officers would demand to be dropped off in a hot zone just to save his soldiers that he wasn't even sure were alive in the first place. Sir, you're not burned out, and since I know that you're thinking it, no, you're not a failure either. You're a hero, is what you are Alex." "I'm no hero Jack. I'm just a SEAL. That's all." "If you say so sir. And one more thing sir. While I know you wanna listen to your wife's advice, as well as your friends, they don't understand this side of you. They never will. They don't know when you should call it quits. Only you know that sir." They sat there in silence for a minute, both pondering Jack's words. "Smart man for your age Brewer." "Thank you sir." There was silence for a little while longer before Alex spoke again. "You know, I'm 25, and in the past five and a half years since I graduated BUD/S after high school, I have never felt this kind of pain. And this place has never felt so empty." "Understood sir. But they also are watching over us, and they don't want us to wallow in some state of self pity. They'd tell us to man up and quit acting like we're in the Air Force." The two laughed at the interservice joke, and the quiet outside of Bagram resumed. "We're gonna be alright sir. We're SEAL's. We just gotta push through." "Roger that."

The silence returned for a little while as the two watched the sun slowly rise. And then all of a sudden the silence was punctuated by the ringing of Alex's cell phone. He quickly picked it up, recognizing the military ring. "Go for Martin." It was Eric, who had clearly been crying earlier. He, like all the rest of the SEAL's, was taking it extremely hard. "Need to head back. Briefing with the head of JOC in your TOC in the compound. New op." "Roger that." Alex hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. He motioned to Brewer. "Need to head on back. Briefing." "Roger that sir."

Alex appeared soon in the briefing room. All the SEAL's in the room were wearing Combat Shirts, Military issue cargo pants, and combat boots. Various camo's, Blue NWU, ACU, multicam, coyote brown, AOR I's and II's, were worn underneath tan and brown kevlar. All men carried various weapons and wore some type of ball cap. He walked in, himself decked out in coyote brown, and spoke. "Standby!" The men all stood, close to attention, and then the general in charge of JOC, an army man that everyone hated because he was the total opposite of General Holden walked in. "Attention on deck!" Alex yelled, and he, with every other SEAL, snapped to attention. "At ease." The SEAL's all took their seats. As Alex did, he noticed a small figure sneak in the door and take a seat near the general. The persons face was covered by a large black hoodie._ "That's weird."_ The general walked to the front of the room. "Gentleman," he began, "I know that this has not been an easy week for you. I understand that, and I pity you, but I need you men to snap out of it. Your services are in demand, and I can't let you sit in this funk any longer than you have to. So, I decided I'd start you off with an easy op. As you gents know, the USO concert for the base is coming up. We have tons of major artists coming in, mostly country, but others as well. Such as this one. Now, the team that was supposed to be protecting her was hit hard in the Helmand River Valley last week, so I'm reassigning you to protection detail for a particular singer." Alex looked over at Eric, who was sitting right to his right, and Brett, who was the next seat over, and they all smiled, shaking their heads. "Piece of cake." "That singer," the general continued, "is Taylor Swift." Alex deadpanned, and he heard Brett curse. "Fucking hell. Just my luck." Eric drilled both of them in the side, and the two men looked up to see the general glaring at them. "Take care of her. Very valuable asset. I'm now going to leave, and you all can get shortly acquainted. Her first set is tomorrow. She will be here all week, and you will stay with her until she steps on that plane and her foot leaves Afghan soil permanently. AM I CLEAR SOLDIERS!" "HOO YAH, SIR!" The SEAL's all yelled, quickly standing to their feet to yell. "Then it's all settled. Dismissed. Except not really." The general stepped out, and the person in the black hoodie pulled the hood back to reveal that it was Taylor herself. She made a beeline for the three friends. Eric looked at them both sternly. "Courtesy soldiers. She is our guest and our asset. We take care of her, not fight with her. BRETT." Brett shook his head and cursed some more. Alex nodded and walked towards Taylor, smiling. "Hey Taylor." "Alex!" She said, smiling. He wrapped her in a tight hug, kissing her forehead. "It's been a while. Talked to Tori lately?" "Been about a week. Been really wrapped up preparing for this concert. She's doing alright though. Nothing different than normal deployments. Of course, she hasn't heard about last week yet." "They told you?" "They said I should probably understand that as you guys are, well...not feeling the best right now. So apparently I'm supposed to cheer you up?" They both lightly laughed at her last statement. "Well, as long as you don't try and hook up with anybody here and write a song about them..." They laughed again, and she lightly punched him in the arm. "Shut up silly. You know that there's only one guy here that I have my eye on. And speaking of him...Where's Brett?" "I don't know. I'd give it some time. He just woke up a little bit ago. It was a rough night." "Nightmares?" "We're all having them. None of us can sleep. It's bad Tay. It's been a bad week." "Well, I'm here to help." "Thank you for that." He hugged her again. "You know, on second thought, Brett's probably outside."

Brett stood outside, leaning on the wood guardrail that edged the platform and three steps that went up to the slightly raised wooden building that served as the TOC. The wind had whipped up temporarily like it tended to do sometimes, but for once, the cold air coming from the mountains went unnoticed by Brett._ "Why the hell is she here? Why can't she just stay away?"_ Brett heard the door open and someone step out and lean on the railing. He looked to his left and saw Troy. "You know," Troy began, "I'm no relationship expert, but it sure looks like you and Taylor Swift know one another, and that your last encounter ended badly. Care to share?" Brett sighed and shook his head, but then began. "She went to high school with me and Alex in Mobile. Faith Academy. Anyways, we started dating, she took off on tour, me and Alex headed off to BUD/S, we lost contact. Anyways, around my fifth deployment, this is my eighth, she and I somehow reconnected. That was about two years ago. We were doing well, and then my time was up, but she didn't want me to re up. I did. Obviously, I re upped, without telling her, and she flipped. I left for my next deployment without saying goodbye. Obviously, we haven't spoken since." "Tell me, is she really as crazy as she sounds in her songs at times?" "Negative. Her songs add to a persona." "Ah." The door opened again, and Troy spoke. "So it looks like you two have some catching up to do." He walked back in, and Taylor walked up next to him and leaned. She, however, was very close. Close enough to put her head on his shoulder, which she did. "Hey Brett." He wanted to yell, scream, push her off, anything. But truth was, he missed her, and it, as always, felt right when she was with him. "Hey Tay. Miss me?" "Of course. And you?" "Missed you too." They stayed there like that for a few minutes, not doing or saying anything, just enjoying one another's presence. And putting off the inevitable talk about why they were no longer together. And then, Taylor spoke. "You know Brett, I think we need to talk about why-" She was cut off by Alex opening the door. "Hey brother. Lucas is up and moving good. It's time." "Alright brother." The door was shut, and Lucas shifted up so he could walk with the men. "Where are we going?" Taylor asked. _"Shit. I forgot about her. She's gotta come with us. Fuck._ Funeral for the men from Red Wings." "The op last week?" "Correct." "Oh." "Just stay quiet, you can sit by me. I've got tissues there under my seat already." "You're going to cry?" "Hell Taylor, I already have. A lot."

Every single Navy SEAL, including those from several other teams that were deployed at Bagram, was there, along with hundreds of other soldiers who came to pay their respects. Lucas managed to find a uniform and Kevlar to put on, and his rifle was sling over his shoulder. "Not going to disrespect their memory by showing up like a slob." He walked up to the outdoor area set aside for the funeral and greeted his fellow SEAL's, many of them hugging him, glad that he was ok. The place set aside for him was right at the front, left section, right on the middle aisle. In front of him were the boots, rifles, and helmets, known as the battle cross, of the eleven SEAL's who had been killed in action during the operation. Men continued to stream in, all quickly taking seats. Finally, Lucas saw Alex look to him. "You ready soldier?" "Yessir." Alex nodded and grabbed the chaplain, telling him they were ready. And then Alex stood up. "ATTENTION ON DECK!"

Brett, in the first row, along with Taylor on his left with Eric, where Alex sat, and Lucas to his right, quickly stood up and snapped to attention. "At ease." Alex said, quieter. He nodded to the chaplain, who came up and began. "Let us pray. O Lord Most High, help me to dwell in your secret place and abide under Your shadow. Help me to believe and say out loud for everyone to hear that You are my refuge and my fortress; that You are my God; and that in You I put my trust. O Lord God Almighty, please deliver me from hidden traps and diseases. Father God, cover me with Your camouflage; hide me under Your wings; and let Your truth be my shield and buckler against the fiery darts—the lies—of the enemy. Lord Jesus, help me not to be afraid of terrorists' attacks in the night; or weapons that fly by day; or sicknesses that walk in darkness; or destruction that wastes at noonday. O Holy God, though a thousand fall at my side, and ten thousand fall at my right hand; please let it not come close to my companions and me. O Lord Most High, let me live to see the reward of the wicked, because You are my refuge and my home. Let no evil conquer me. Let no plague come into my house or near my family. O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer, please set angels over me to keep me in all Your ways, to bear me up in their hands and to keep my feet from stumbling. Father God, help me to tread upon the lion and adder and trample the young lion and the dragon under my feet. Lord Jesus, I love you with all my heart and I know Your name. Deliver me and lift me on high to soar with the eagles. I call upon you to be with me in times of trouble and to deliver and honor me because I know Your name. Please show me Your salvation and satisfy me with a long life. I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. " "AMEN." Resounded from the hundred that were gathered in attendance. "ROLL CALL OFFICER!" Yelled Alex, but his voice quavered, and tears could already be seen pouring down his face. Brett stepped forward, and began to yell out the names, with a moment of silence after each name he said. "JEFFERY TAYLOR!..." Silence. "PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS Jeffrey S. Taylor! JEFFERY LUCAS! PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS Jeffery A. Lucas! JACQUES FONTAN! CHIEF PETTY OFFICER Jacques J. Fontan! DANIEL HEALEY! SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER Daniel R. Healy! MICHAEL MCGREEVY! LIEUTENANT Michael M. McGreevy, Jr.! JAMES SUH! PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS James E. Suh! SHANE PATTON! PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS Shane E. Patton! ERIK KRISTENSEN! LIEUTENANT COMMANDER Erik S. Kristensen!" Brett could feel the tears streaming down his face, and he thanked whoever made the roll call with a pause in between each time he said each name, because he needed that time to force his voice to not be overtaken by sobs. He looked over at Taylor, who also had tears, realizing what this meant, and she gave him a small smile. "Do it for them. Do it for her. Give them one last honor. DANNY DIETZ! PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS DANNY P. DIETZ JR.! MATTHEW AXELSON! PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS MATTHEW G. AXELSON! MICHAEL MURPHY! LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHY!" The names finally ended, and taps began to play. Every service member snapped to attention and saluted the flag behind the soldiers gear which was lowered to half mast to honor the fallen servicemen. And then, finally, the service was over. But that also meant that the soldiers had their one last goodbye.

Lucas walked up to the front to the boots, helmets, and rifle, known as a battle cross, displayed for each soldier. He walked through the line, running his hands along them, trying his best to hold back the worst of the sobs. But when he got to his team, and the first name, "Danny Dietz," he completely broke down sobbing. He ran his hands over the battle cross'es of him and Axe and sent up little prayers of thanks. But when he got to Mikey's cross, he knealt, crying onto the boots of the man who had saved his life. The cousin of the girl he loved. The man who had promised to be his brother. _"I miss you guys so much."_ He thought as he sobbed onto the three monuments to the soldiers final act of courage.

Brett got back to his seat and was immediately embraced in a tight hug by Taylor. He just accepted it, holding tight onto her, crying into her. "Shhhhhhh. It's gonna be alright." She comforted. "I wish it were me. I wish it were me. I wish it were me." He cried into her shoulder, wishing, just like he said, that it could have been him that made the ultimate sacrifice. Anything to bring them back and to kill the pain that he felt.

Lucas walked up to Alex, who was knealt at the battle cross of Eric Kristensen, crying just like Lucas. He pulled him up and pulled him into a deep embrace. The two men cried together, the pain the worst imaginable. "I just wish I could see the actual funeral. I heard they'll all get Arlington." "You will brother. I talked to the family members of the guys on your team. They said the bodies are gonna be cremated, but that they're gonna have a traditional service, with the coffin filled with the ash box and the battle cross, when we get back from deployment." "Did you do that brother?" "Na. They said that it was what they would have wanted." The two men finally broke the embrace and went on to pray and think through everything on their own for the time being. _"Brooke...I've been torn apart by this war. I'm all screwed up. I don't even think I'll make it back...I just don't know anymore..."_


	23. Chapter 21

Brett watched the various artists come and go across the stage. Alex had assigned him to backstage, which he was thankful for, because if he was near the dressing room, with all of the other SEAL's, and of course, Taylor, well...he just didn't know how he would be able to handle it. Being around her the past few days had been intoxicating, a reminder of all that he had left behind. His head was all messed up, and he knew that, especially now, was not a time to not have his head on his shoulders. But something about her just threw him on a loop, screwed with his head and his heart, and it was all he could do to remind himself that he was supposed to be angry at her and not be inviting her to fall into his arms. He continued to brood through Nick Jonas's set, only coming out of his blur to hum along with "Jealous." He stayed there, continuing to think, until he was interrupted a while later by Lucas. "How you doing brother?" He asked the injured SEAL who was walking with a visible limp, but still insisted on being out with the team with a full combat load, rifle, ammo, and all. Lucas gritted his teeth in answer. "I'll be fine. You?" "Same. Course, I don't have to heal up from several bullet holes." "You couldn't handle it." The two men lightly laughed before silence returned, punctuated only by the singing and the screaming. "SO what's your and Taylors story anyways? Any songs about you?" Brett smiled and nodded. "Yeah, several. Wanna hear?" "I asked, didn't I?" "Alright. Taylor moved to Mobile and joined Faith Academy when she was a freshman. Alex and I did the same, even though he lived in Bluebell, which was a ways away, across the bay, and I should have gone to public school. It was a good hour long drive, and since Alex needed a place to stay during football and baseball season, which we both played together, he often stayed after late practices and games with me or Taylor, who his mama and daddy knew from way back when. They had gone to college or something with her parents I guess. Anyways, because of all that, we all began to hang out together a lot. Alex and I became like her big brothers, always sticking up for her when she needed it, whether it be through words or fists. She and Alex were always like siblings, but I, on the other hand, began to have feelings for her. This, though, of course, happened while I was dating the head of the cheerleading squad, homecoming queen, etc etc. So, I refused to admit my feelings. But we kept talking, kept getting closer, even wrote one another notes on sheets of paper that we showed throughout windows that faced one another." "'You Belong With Me.'" "Correct. Anyways, around homecoming my sophomore year, me and Alex had been driving for around a year by the way, we finally admitted our feelings for one another. We dated for around a year and some change, but things didn't exactly go according to plan. Her dad hated me because I wasn't an aspiring doctor or lawyer, and he wanted better for his baby girl. Not that I can really blame him. I hadn't told her that I was going to be a SEAL, but her dad was former airborne, and he could tell. He respected what I wanted to do, but he wanted better for Taylor. That was rough, because Taylor loved her parents, and really cared about what they thought about her life and what they thought she should do. Her mama loved me cause I was a typical southern gentleman, but like I said, her dad never really warmed up to me. Anyways, most of her happy songs in the fearless and speak now albums were written during this time. But things didn't stay good forever, because like I said, I knew that I was gonna be a SEAL, but I didn't tell her that. I knew that as soon as they would let me, I was heading off to SEAL school. BUD/S. When that time came around early in the spring semester of my junior year, Alex and I took off, without telling her. I finally got around to writing her a few months later, and we continued our romance. And after a year of BUD/S, we were counting on getting to spend a lot of time together, but the Navy had other plans. They sent me to Iraq. I was almost 19, had left school, and even though it was supposed to be my senior year, I, along with Alex, had moved on. Taylor, however, hadn't. We tried to keep it going, writing letters and calling as much as we could, but it just didn't work. She wrote most of the songs in the Fearless album about me around this time. Some in the Speak Now album too. You listen, and you'll know they were written about someone who's left, someone who chose something over her. That's me. Anyways, we lost contact, but she kept writing about me, most of the songs in her next two albums were about me. She tried to date to keep me off of her mind, and I kept myself immersed in being a SEAL. During a leave after my fifth deployment, my third in Afghanistan, I happened to be at home when she was. We saw each other at some social gathering on a plantation, decided to go on a date, just to hang out, and, well...things got hot and heavy from there. But, again, I kept something from her. I didn't tell her it was my time to re up, and that I could leave the service if I wanted to. Through it all, the coffee, the dates, the many trips to the beach, the many nights in my truck out in a field under the stars, she was under the impression that I would give up my military career whenever I got the chance. Anyways, the end of the summer, the fall, the winter, it was great. The longest leave that I ever got. But around Christmas, December, she found out about the chance to leave, and I told her that I was re upping. I brought roses to her house that night, but she shut the door in my face. I used that as my excuse not to fight for the relationship, and I headed back to Afghanistan, her back to tour. It was around this time that she wrote a lot of the songs in the albums Red and 1989. I hadn't seen her or spoken to her since, until she showed up at the TOC. And now she's messed with my head. Fucking sucks brother." "I feel you brother." "Word of advice Lucas. When your time comes, no matter what you know you want or think you want to do, talk to Brooke about it. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, make a decision without at least discussing it with her. And also, remember, we love this job. This is our life...for now. But we can't be SEAL'S forever. Your potential soul mate is a lot more important than any job, even this one." "What about Alex? He and Tori seem to have it under control." "Trust me brother, and he'll be the first to tell you, he doesn't have it under control." "So what about the happy songs in Red and Speak Now that seem to don't pertain to you, obviously? And the ones in her new album?" "She wrote a lot about what she wanted to happen, what she dreamed would happen. And in all of the albums, she would change names, details, that sorta thing, to protect me and my identity from the world." "Sounds like she cares brother." "She might. I sure as hell do."

They heard Taylor walk up on stage and begin. She talked for a little bit like all artists did, and then launched into "Blank Space." "What are you gonna do about it?...Brett?" He turned to his right and shook the man, but Brett was staring straight ahead, suddenly focused. He spoke into the squad radio. "I've got a possible contact. Middle eastern, military age. Long beard, not kept. Doesn't fit the profile of any men that came with Taylor." Alex came on to respond. "How do you know he's with Taylor?" "Wearing a Taylor Swift tour crew t-shirt." "Roger that. Any suspicious activity?" "Pushing a large box around. One of those sound equipment black boxes." "Maybe it's a new employee." "Check." Brett got off, and he and Lucas continued to stand there, but their attention was spiked. "Something's not right." Lucas thought.

A minute later, Brett watched two more middle eastern men come up through one of the back entrances to join the one already there. "Lead, I've got two more contacts joining the first." "Activity?" "Just arguing-wait, they just opened up the back of the box. Lead, I've got a pale red light. That ain't sound equipment." "Easy brother. We can't shoot without provocation." "Check...shit, they've got rifles. They're wheeling the box towards the under entrance to the stage. We need to intercept lead!" "Roger. Cleared to engage." Brett nodded to Lucas, and the two readied their weapons. The two raised their silenced weapons, SOPMOD M4's, and Brett nodded. They quietly walked forward until they were right behind the men, and then Brett spoke quietly. "United States Navy SEAL's. Step away from the box." The men whirled around to find rifles pointed at them. One was clearly about to make a move for the box, but was slammed back. Brett vaguely registered a silenced discharge and looked over to Lucas. "We were cleared to engage." He said, "Not making the same mistake I did on the mountain." Brett nodded and looked back to the man Lucas had shot. Blood was pouring from an area right around his heart. Brett moved forward to check the man's pulse. "Dead." "Roger that." The two others glared at them with hate, but both SEAL's disregarded it. They didn't care what the people who fought them cared about them. Unlike the Generals, they weren't there to win a popularity contest.

Lucas looked at Brett. "We need to check the box." "Roger that. Get the hajis out of here. Find a black site for em." "With pleasure." Lucas took the plastic handcuffs and locked both men up, and then proceeded to walk to the SEAL's impromptu HQ next to Taylor's dressing room. He walked into the mess that featured many computers and weapons strewn about with the SEAL's that weren't on duty drinking coffee or napping. He cleared his voice. "Alex, we got these guys trying to sneak in that box." "I thought there were three?" "Were. I popped one who tried to make a move to the box." "Alright. Brett?" "Checking the box. He shoulda checked in by now." "He hasn't. Shit, that might not be good. You and me are heading over there now. MARINE!" His yell was directed at a young marine that had pulled guard duty for the SEAL's on base for the deployment. He ran over. "Sir?" "Take these to the LZ in front of our compound. Guys from the black site are on the way to get them." "Yessir." He roughly grabbed the two spitting and swearing terrorists and dragged them away. "You let a black site know?" "Comms did. C'mon, let's go."

Brett pulled open the edge of the box, and promptly sucked in his breath. In front of him was a massive bomb, with the time showing less than five minutes toll detonation. He heard Two men run up behind him, and he immediately knew one was Lucas. "Oh shit." He heard the voice, and identified it as Alex. "What do we have Brett?" Alex asked, his voice controlled so he wouldn't show any panic. "Massive bomb. Twenty pounds of C4, electrical impulse activates it." "Timer?" "We got less than five mikes." "No time to call EOD." "Roger that." He looked back at Alex, and the two had a silent conversation. "You can do this Brett?" "Now or never. I'm sure I can rustle up something." "Do it quick." "Roger that." Brett opened the panel covering the electrical circuit and saw three wires protruding from the device next to it. "I've got three wires. Blue, green, and red." "Which one is the one to cut?" Lucas asked. "It doesn't exactly come with an instruction manual Luke." Brett replied, slightly annoyed. Brett sighed, and apologized. "Sorry. I'm stressed." "All good brother. Now, will you please cut the right wire?" "Hooyah." Brett focused on the wires. The red one, in the middle, stuck out to him. _"Should I do it?"_ He looked and saw less than four minutes. No time to evacuate, no time for EOD. _"It's now or never."_ He whipped out his combat knife, shot off a quick prayer, closed his eyes, and cut the wire.

Silence. Alex opened his eyes and looked around. They were still there. The bomb was no longer blinking, and the electronics attached to the circuit board were dead. The bomb was disarmed. He felt a massive breath leave his body, and he bent over, hands on his knees, shaking his head. "Wow...just...wow." Alex looked up and saw the rest of the team members rushing over to them. He smiled, laughed, grabbed a few more marines to pull guard duty, and headed back for the HQ.

Hours later, inside, Alex prepared to debrief. Among the SEAL's there, they had Petty Officer First Class Kono Kalakaua, a comms specialist who had been attached to the SEAL's for her previous three deployments, her cousin Chief Petty Officer Chin Ho Kelly, a member of SWCC (special warfare combatant-craft crewmen), Chief Petty Officer Danny Williams, also a member of SWCC, and Lieutenant Catherine Rollins, another comms specialist who had been attached to the SEAL's for the last two deployments, and who also happened to be dating Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, a Navy SEAL attached to Team 10, who happened to be Alex's cousin _**(A/N:I am using characters from Hawaii Five-0. And Steve McGarrett off of there looks the same as Alex Martin on here.)**_. He stood up, and began to speak. "First of all, good job today. We saved a lot of lives on this one. No way that it would have happened, however, unless our boy Brett here had the balls to disarm that bomb. So let's give him a hand!" There was clapping, along with a lot of whistles and things being thrown in the general direction of Brett. All inside were laughing. But it immediately stopped when the general who had assigned them protection detail walked in, with Taylor and her manager in tow. All in the room immediately snapped to attention. The general began. "At ease." Everyone sat back down, now quiet. "Ms. Taylor here sponsors several young afghani children. She wants to see them. They live in a little village near the mountains that run the northern border of the Shah-I-Kot Valley." "The Shah-I-Kot Valley?" Alex asked, immediately shooting up in his seat. "Yes, is there a problem?" He asked, with a hint of malice in his voice. Alex looked at him dumbfounded, practically laughing in disbelief. "You mean other than the fact that you're asking us to take a civilian into one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan into a village that is known to be held by the Taliban, and to top it off, an area that we can't get any kind of air support half the time? No sir, no problem at all!" "You'll make it work SEAL. Wear your gray PCU's. Dismissed." And with that, the general whipped around and walked out, followed by Taylor and her manager. Alex shook his head, disgusted. Eric walked over to him. "This is not gonna end fucking well." Eric stated. "Roger that. Clean weapons and then get some rest. We're in the air at 0400." "Hooyah sir."

Brett quickly ran after Taylor. "Taylor! TAYLOR!" He finally caught her attention, and she waved the people she was walking with on. "What's up Brett?" She asked with her signature smile._ "Oh god, not her smile." _Then Brett shook off the feeling that rose up in his chest when he saw that smile that he loved so much, and began to try to reason with her. "Taylor, you need to call this off." "Why?" "To start? It's not safe. We don't even send infantrymen over there unless we have too. That is a bad place Taylor. Very very very bad." "You're right Brett. It is bad. And these children have been living there with their families that support the U.S. troops, which has made their life total living hell! I feel like the least I can do, since they know I'm in Afghanistan, is go and thank them for how kind they've been to me in their letters and thank them for their support, both for me AND you." "You're a target Taylor! Can you not get that through your head?! The Taliban want to make an example out of you, as well as me and my team. As soon as we touch down in that village, every Taliban soldier in the valley is gonna be headed for us! You need to get it together and realize that THIS. IS. STUPID!" "IT'S NOT STUPID BRETT! IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!" "THE RIGHT THING TO DO? HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO?!" "I ASKED YOU THE SAME QUESTION WHEN YOU SAID THE SAME THING WHEN YOU RE UPPED, AND YOU SAID THAT YOU JUST KNEW!" "THAT'S DIFFERENT!" "HOW?!" Brett was lost for words. "It just is." He whispered. He looked up and saw tears pouring down Taylor's face. "Or maybe," She choked out, "Maybe it's that I want to know." He pulled her close to him, wrapping her in his embrace. "Know what?" "Why you keep coming back. Why you chose this over us." Brett lowered his head. "That's not even something I can give you an answer too Taylor. I don't know. I really don't." She buried her head in his shoulder, and Brett continued to hold her.

The next morning came quickly for Taylor, and after she woke up, showered, did her makeup and hair, which started at a little after three in the morning, and dressed in appropriate clothing, which consisted of all military issue PCU clothing, along with a pair of tight grey yoga pants underneath they grey PCU cargo pants, and black combat boots, she headed for the TOC, where she was supposed to meet the SEAL's. But through it all, she couldn't get her mind off of the night before, and despite how angry she had been at Brett for telling her to call off the meeting, she couldn't stop thinking about the way he had held her, and how right it felt. _"Why can't it all just work out?"_ She thought to herself as she walked to the SEAL's compound.

Matt woke up and quickly showered up, and then went to call Elizabeth. She picked up after the first ring. "Hey baby." "Matt! It's so good to hear your voice! It's been a few days baby. I was starting to get worried that something had happened." "No baby. Well, not to me anyways." She picked up on the tone in his voice. "What's wrong Matt?" She asked tenderly. The tears began to come out of his eyes, and his voice choked. "I love this job so much Elizabeth. I do. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. But this deployment has been nothing but fight after fight, and I just feel like I'm about to explode from the inside. I just don't know if I can handle putting any more brothers to rest." Elizabeth elt hot tears sting her own eyes. "I know baby. I know it hurts. But you've gotta stay strong baby. You can do this. If anyone can, you can." "You believe that?" "With all of my heart." "You're so good for me Elizabeth. I don't know what I did to deserve you." "You were you baby. You were you. I love you baby. Have a good day, ok?" "Alright. Love you Elizabeth. Sleep tight."

Troy showered and dressed quickly, and then looked at the clock. Seeing that it was just barely three, and knowing that a lot of his friends were over at his house since new leaked out to the spec ops community about Red Wings and how SEAL Team 6 was involved, he decided to open his laptop and skype them. They quickly connected. "Hey everyone!" He said cheerfully, trying to disguise the yawn and tiredness in his voice. They all yelled hey back, and pretty soon they were lost in talking about the special Christmas reunion planned for their senior class that was taking place first in Albuquerque and then in the mountains at the ski lodge that Troy always used to go to with his family. And above all, Troy spent the entire time wishing that he was back with a typical normal. A normal job, a normal family, a normal life. He loved his brothers, and he loved his job, but he had begun to wonder,_ "Am I spending all the best years of my life that should be spent with my family and friends over in a country half a world away? Is this something that I still need to be doing?"_

Eric woke up and went through his morning routine quickly, and then called Elsa. When she picked up, he felt his heart warm and his spirits soar. His smile lit up when he began to talk to her. And even though a lot of it was complaining about a rare bad day at the park, talking about all of the annoying horny teenage guys and how since it was the middle of the summer in Florida that she shouldn't be required to wear her costume, or even show up. "...I mean, this thing is so damn hot Eric! How do you handle it in Afghanistan, anyways?" He laughed. "I usually just take my shirt off. Besides, I'm up in the mountains on ops all the time. It gets pretty cold up there. Feels like Colorado." "I can't do that! Us FEMALES can't run around with our shirts off at a children's park!" He doubled over, laughing. "Sure you can! Give those horny teenage boys something to look at!" They both laughed even harder. "C'mon baby, you know that's only for you." She said, as the laughing stopped and they both began to choke up, and both felt the hot tears. "When are you coming home anyways?" "March. You know that babe." "That's too far away." "I know." There was a dead silence. "Be safe, ok babe?" "Always babe. I love you." "Love you too Eric." And with that, the line went dead.

Jack pulled out his phone, and tried again to call Kim, both the home line to their house and her cell. And again, there was no answer. He growled and slammed his phone down on the desk before lying back on his bed, rubbing his eyes. He heard a knock. "Beware, if you come in, I might use you as target practice. Tread lightly." The door opened, and Lucas looked in with a little smirk. "Target practice? Shit, you need it." Jack responded by throwing the hoodie he had slept in the night before at Lucas, who easily dodged, laughing as Jack cursed up a storm. Lucas pulled the chair out from under the desk and sat down, as the tone in the room became somber. "Trouble on the homefront?" Lucas asked. Jack nodded. "Yeah. I don't know, Kim's been becoming kind of distant over the last two weeks. I've only talked to her once. Called her like a million times. She's texted me a few times, and I haven't brought it up, but I know something is up." "C'mon man, these things are always worse than they seem. Lighten up a little. Maybe she just needs some space." Jack sighed as he continued to lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah, you're probably right." "Probably. Now, suit up. We've gotta be in the TOC for briefing in ten." "Brett didn't talk her out of it?" "It's Taylor fucking Swift. The only thing she ever gets talked out of is her love interest of the day." The two men doubled over, laughing, before Lucas walked out. Jack shook his head, prayed that Lucas was right about Kim, and then began to slip into his gear.

Lucas pulled his phone out of his Kevlar vest and dialed Brookes number. It rang a few times, and then she picked up. "Luke! Hey!" "Hey pretty girl. What's up?" "Oh, you know, the usual, trying to figure out what to have for dinner. I may just run over to Haley's place and have leftovers of what she took to Quinn." "Speaking of her, how's she doing?" "Gotten a lot better over the past two days. She decided that Jordan would want her to live her life, which he would. So she's out and about. Still hurt, still cries easy, but she's getting better by the day, getting back to the Quinn we know." "That's good." He responded. "So how about you Luke? What are you doing? And why on earth are you up so early?" "Briefing for our next op in ten." "Lucas Scott! You can't be serious! You had better not be going back out in the field!" She yelled at him. "...Uh...why not?" "Hmmm, I don't know, maybe because you WERE JUST SHOT!" "Babe, I am just fine. Maybe a little under the weather, if anything. I am fine. I will be fine. Nothing is gonna happen on this one anyways. Don't get mad." "Don't get mad." She sarcastically laughed, then exploded. "DON'T GET MAD! YOU TELL ME THAT, AND YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND LUCAS SCOTT?!" "I did fall in love with you. "He said, his smile clearly evident in his voice. She groaned. "You just love making me mad, don't you?" "Maybe? Besides babe, it's really no big deal. We're just taking someone to see the kids she sponsored. It's no big deal. It just consists of showing up and looking tough." "Then why are you going?" She asked with a smirk. He made a face at the phone. "Ha ha very funny. I'm dying laughing on the inside." She gave her little haughty laugh and smile, smirking. "Of course I am. I AM Brooke Davis after all." "Yes ma'am you are." He said, laughing. There was silence for are minute before Brooke spoke again. "Just promise me you'll be safe, ok babe?" "I always am." "You said that before last week too." "Let's not talk about last week Brooke. Please?" "Ok Lucas. Just be safe." "I will babe. Love you pretty girl." "Love you too Luke."

The TOC was full of SEAL's, who now looked uniform. All wore grey PCU's, which were designed for the mountains, tan Kevlar vests, tan combat boots, and Tan SEAL helmets with NODS attached to the front and special ops headsets, known as military cans, on for communication. All had Under Armour Tactical Shades for when the sun came out over the mountains. All were armed to the teeth, most with SOPMOD M4's with foregrips, but some with MK11 Mod 0's with foregrips._ "We look bad ass."_ Alex thought to himself, smirking. "_Taliban fucks with us, it ain't gonna go to well for em this time._ ATTENTION ON DECK!" All of the SEAL's shut up and snapped to attention. He resumed speaking, "At ease. Gentleman, our mission today is to infil/exfil and provide protection for civilian Taylor Swift, codenamed 'Love Story.' We infil/exfil on one CH-47, accompanied by two apaches for fire support. Love story will be visiting with children, blah blah blah, we don't care about that. We provide security, and in the event of something going wrong, we are authorized to terminate any threats. While this family in particular is loyal to U.S. Troops, the rest for the village, and that valley, for that matter, is hostile. We can't afford to fuck up here. We'll have the CH-47 and the apaches at FOB Foxhole, on the other side of the Arma Mountain Range. We call, they come. Questions?" "What happens when things go south like we know they will?" Brett asked. "We kill the stupid sons of bitches. Eric?" "What if we can't extract or something comes up, etc etc?" "If that happens, and I don't anticipate that happening, the village is in the mountains, a little ways up. We can head up. Any other questions? No? Alright, dismissed."

The men all left the building to find Taylor walking over. Her manager followed close. "…photo op. Here comes the SEAL's! We'll do it now. Can you guys pose for a photo?" Alex looked at the man, bewildered. Brett smacked his back and nodded. "Yeah, whatever you need." Alex responded. The SEAL's all did the photo, and then the manager nodded. "Good pic Taylor. Alright, I'm gonna put this on all social media and the blog. The press will love this too. I'll have reporters-" He was cut off by Alex. "Not happening." "Excuse me?" "This doesn't g out on the web." "And why not?" the manager challenged, glaring and somewhat bowing up. "The press will love this." Alex walked up and got in the managers face, looking down on him, as the muscular 6'3 frame did a lot of the talking for him. "Because, contrary to popular belief, the Taliban knows what the internet is. And they will be tracking her movements all through her visit. But most importantly, my men are the ones headed put there, and it will be my men that pay the price for your screwup. So, with all due respect, I couldn't give a flying fuck about the press. And I will not endanger this mission because of a post to make Taylor look better. We clear?" The man was about to say something back when Brett grabbed Alex and pulled him away. "Not a fight you need to be fighting brother." "I woulda kicked his fucking ass!" "My point. Let's go. We wanna be boots on the ground a decent ways before sunrise is over." "Roger that. Thanks Brett." "I'm your two. It's my job to keep you from fucking yourself over." The two men laughed at that and then headed to the chopper for the hour long ride to the valley.

While in air, Taylor began to doze off, but the rest of the men stayed alert. Even at the speed and altitude they were at, they were still a big juicy target to any Taliban soldiers with rockets. Alex got up midway in the flight and began to speak to the men. "Guys, change of plans." He said, coming over the radio into their military issue over the ear headphones, known as cans. "Just in case something was to happen, we're gonna change up some of the plans. To start, our new QRF are the Rangers that we have stationed at Bagram. Second Battalion I believe. They'll be at the FOB with two additional Chinooks. We'll have most of our men on the ground with Love Story, but we'll have some scaling Mount Takur Ghar, along with two on the adjacent mountain providing sniper cover. Here's the plan. We left about 0330 hours, and we're gonna get there around 0415 hours roughly, since we've made good time. We land below the village, and we clear our route up on our own. Once we hit the village, Love Story does her thing, snipers provide cover for roaming patrols, and those in village watch their sectors. Once it starts getting late, we call for extraction, head to the extraction point, and we're out of there. We clear?" "Hooyah sir!" The men all responded. Alex nodded. "Alright. Clayton, Brewer, Bolton, Casey, you guys are AFO Wolfpack. Two of you are gonna be on sniper overwatch once you advance up to your position. The other two will be rear security. Myself, Stevens, Barrett, Scott, and Severide are AFO Neptune. We will be taking Love Story in directly, moving up the side of the mountain to the target, OP Dorothy. Wolfpack, make your moves quick. We HAVE to have sniper overwatch. You'll be equipped with one M107 .50 caliber sniper rifle on top of your equipment that you already have. Clayton, you'll be taking lead of Wolfpack." "Roger that." "I'll lead Neptune. Any questions?" Lucas spoke up. "Alex, what happens if shit hits the fan?" "We go up or down and pray that they all die before we run out of ammo." The men all looked away. "Men, I know that this mission has it's flaws. But we're here nonetheless. Let's take care of business, hooyah?" "Hooyah!" "Alright gentleman. Get your game face on. Touchdown in five mikes."

They soon landed and went on their separate ways, Wolfpack to clear out Taliban AAA positions and soldiers, Neptune to begin their mile and a half long hike up to the village. "Alright Neptune, keep it down. We are two clicks out from OP. The men moved quietly and skillfully, helping Taylor along, who now was donned with a loose fitting helmet and a kevlar vest for protection. Brett stayed close with her, while the others took up a fire team position around them. As they stealthily walked along, she began to shiver. "It's cold." She whispered, the shivers beginning to increase. Brett came on the radio and told the men to stop. "Shhhhh. Ok, here's some hand and feet warmers. Stick them in your boots and gloves, ok? That'll help." "Why is it so cold out?" "We're walking a ridgeline that goes across the top end of the mountain. We're ten thousand feet up in the desert at the coldest part of the day. It gets almost as chilly as you do in some of your breakup songs." He said, cracking a smile at the end. She looked up at him and smiled, and Brett immediately felt the urge to kiss her, right there in the middle of the mission. _"Don't do it Brett._" He went back on the radio. "Alex, where are y'all at?" "Fifty meters up. Had to take out a small Taliban patrol headed this way. Catch back up." "Roger that." He stood up and checked his rifle, making sure that it was still working. "C'mon. We still have nearly two clicks to cover before sunrise." Taylor nodded and stood up, and the two headed off to rejoin the rest of Neptune, the moment broken.

They advanced about one klick along the side of the mountain when they saw a village ahead of them with many armed fighters out in it. Alex quickly assessed the situation, before realizing that they were going to have to go in loud. "Wolfpack, come in, over." "This is Wolfpack, what can we do for you Neptune?" Matt came over the radio. "Wolfpack, I have a village in front of me, multiple armed hostiles. You guys in any position to assist?" "Negative. We're about a thousand feet down and transversing the ridgeline to the cover point for OP Dorothy. Try the AC-130." "What AC-130?" "Air Force sent one in to cover our approach till sunrise. Apparently the PJ's took a liking to Eric and pulled some strings." "Roger that. Thanks Wolfpack." "Anytime Neptune. Their callsign is Reaper 3-1." Alex quickly went on the longrange comms. "Reaper 3-1, this is AFO Neptune." "Roger that Neptune, we got you on the scanners." "Roger that. Wait for my team to engage, and then your weapons hot." "We're raring and ready to go Neptune. Good hunting." Alex motioned the rest of Neptune up to him. "Alright, that village is on an upslope. We're gonna attack up, and the AC-130 is gonna provide cover. Go on me." The men all went and found cover while Brett took Taylor and pulled her down behind a massive boulder. "Whatever you do," He whispered, "Don't start screaming. Put your headphones in under your cans. It can get kinda loud, ok?" She nodded, clearly freaking out. He kneeled beside her, putting his hand under her chin and pulling her face up to his. "Hey, it's gonna be ok. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Promise." She nodded, still scared, but a little calmer. He nodded, and got up from the cover, M4 aimed at the nearest Taliban soldier. "Ready boss." "Then let's do it." "Silencers off?" Eric came over the radio, asking. "Na. Leave em on for now." "Roger that." "Engage on me." Alex steadied his breathing and aimed at the nearest Taliban soldier. Then he pulled the trigger. Abruptly, the area became a firestorm. Lucas quickly shot about ten times at various soldiers, and then they began to leapfrog through the village, systemically taking out Taliban and clearing one another's blind spots. "MOVE THE PACKAGE UP!" He yelled. Brett said something that Lucas couldn't make out, and then he looked back, seeing Brett shooting at guys coming from his left, sneaking around the rest of Neptune. He took off running back, trying to cover Brett. Brett stayed in his position, firing at the Taliban that were appearing en masse from his left. Taylor had attached herself to the boulder, holding her knees in her arms and rocking back and forth as bullets began to land uncomfortably close. Brett fired off the last shots in his mag, and then quickly sat down next to her, taking cover while reloading. Her arm shot out and latched onto his. Sobbing, she spoke. "Bbbbbbbbrett, please, don't leave me! Don't move. Pppppleaseee." She continued to sob. " He stuck his head up over the cover quickly, and seeing that the Taliban weren't moving, courtesy of Lucas, he put an arm around her, trying to calm her down. "Shhhhhhhh. It's ok. Shhhhhhhh. Slow down, deep breaths." The sobs slowed, and then stopped. "I said I wasn't gonna let anything happen to you, ok? It's all gonna be alright. Ok?" She nodded, and then Brett quickly popped back up to re engage the enemy. With Taylor calmed down enough to move, they began to leapfrog, moving up quickly through the village and the ravine that it was nestled in. The AC-130 had made quick work of the buildings in the village, and now it was ablaze and cleared of enemies.

The men began to trek farther up the ridgeline that headed up the mountain, and dawn began to break. As it was breaking, they came out and saw a large camp crawling with Taliban. "Reaper 3-1, we need one more pass from you." "Neptune, daylight is breaking. We are RTB." "C'mon, just one more good pass." Alex heard the pilot sigh, and he knew that he was staying. "One more pass Neptune. Make it count." "Roger that." After a quick firefight with the guards and some of the outliers, Luke and Kelly Severide began to check around the camp while Alex and Eric called in air support from the gunship. They were about to sit down and chill for a minute when all of a sudden they heard an abundance of gunfire and explosions and a panicked Brett coming on the radio. "LUCAS! SEVERIDE! WE NEED YOU STAT!" The two men took off running, Lucas shooting a Taliban soldier in the process, and ran up to the edge of a cliff where the three SEAL's and Taylor were. On the other side, the Taliban were making target practice out of the AC-130. "TAKE EM OUT!" Alex yelled, pulling the trigger. "WE NEED OPTIONS ALEX!" "LIKE WHAT ERIC?" "LUCAS, YOU HAVE THE MK11, RIGHT?" "ROGER THAT." "HIT THAT AMMO CACHE." Lucas nodded, and brought the boxes into focus in his scope. He waited, slowed his breath, and pulled the trigger. The ammo cache exploded a second later, taking multiple Taliban soldiers with it, and finishing off the force for the time being. Silence returned to the mountain. "Reaper 3-1, you are cleared to RTB. Thank's for sticking your neck out." "No problem Neptune. Well, that was...interesting." The plane flew off, and Neptune returned to hiking up, not far from the OP. "Welcome to Dorothy." Brett said. "What a bitch." Eric responded, making them all laugh.

They arrived at the village without any further incidents, although Taylor didn't seem to be doing too well from the outside. The village was a small one, about six or seven buildings on each side of the one street, all made out of mud and wood. Near the center was the house of the family Taylor was helping. Alex motioned Brett to stay back with Taylor, and then slowly glided forward with the rest of Neptune flanking him. "Prepare to breach." He whispered, motioning Lucas forward to kick the door in. "Uh, Alex?" "What is it Lucas." "If we're gonna be staying, shouldn't we, I don't know, not take the door off?" "Do you have an alternative?" "We knock…sir?" "Be my guest Mr. Scott." Lucas knocked, and saw an afghan mam with a long black beard and short hair open the door. He looked at Lucas with wide eyes, and was clearly terrified. Lucas smiled, took off his helmet, and spoke, "Morning sir. You Khayyam Zayn Amjad?" The man nodded. "My names Chief Petty Officer Lucas Scott. I'm with the SEAL's. We got someone with us I think that you and your family would like to meet." The man nodded and gestured the men inside. Lucas waved to Brett, who quickly brought Taylor in. Inside, the hut was simple. Two girls sat inside on a rug in the middle of the floor with their faces covered by cloth. The man said something in Pashto, and the girls hesitantly removed the cloth, looking up at the SEAL's in curiosity, and their eyes lighting up with joy at the sight of Taylor. They rushed up to her and wrapped her in their arms, and as they did so, the two girls and Taylor began to cry tears of happiness. The whole scene made all of the SEAL's crack a smile.

Hours passed, and the girls were still talking and laughing around dusk, as they had all morning and afternoon. The SEAL's, on the other hand, were in business mode, watching out of the windows and in constant communication with AFO Wolfpack's snipers to make sure nothing was happening. Lucas walked up to Alex, who was looking out of a window at a rising of the mountain, where he was checking for snipers. Lucas spoke, "It's been quiet." "That it has." "Almost too quiet." "Almost is an understatement. It's quiet, and I don't like it. The Hajis know that we're here. We left a blood trail. Something's going on." "You think they're gonna attack?" "No question about it." Lucas nodded, and walked away. He was replaced by Khayyam Zayn Amjad. "You protect us?" Alex looked over at him. "Yessir. For the time being anyways." The man moved up and stood next to him, leaning on the other side of the window. "How'd you even meet Taylor anyways?" "My older daughter, she has facebook. She meet Taylor in a online contest. She tell Taylor what it like in Afghanistan. Taylor felt bad, wanted to help us. So she sends money and sponsors us. She became good friends with my eldest daughter, the one she met online. They met often when she was over in America." "Where's she at? And where's the mother?" The man looked away. "The Taliban made examples of them." "I'm sorry. I didn't know." "Was not your fault. It was mine. I sent my daughter to America. I went to Cambridge. They couldn't kill me, so they did the next best thing." Alex nodded, looking back to the rise. "You are not safe here." Khayyam went on. "Why is that?" "The Taliban heard. They know. I heard about the gunfight down the mountain. You all are being searched for as we speak. Soon, they will find you." "That's right. They will." "My family and I will leave soon. I suggest you do the same." The man grabbed a bag and began to put his few meager possessions into it, and then began to clean his AK. Lucas went and sat down next to him. "What are the names of your girls?" He asked. The man looked up for a moment in surprise, and then went back to cleaning his weapon. "The eldest of the two is eighteen years old, named Salha Thamina. The younger is sixteen, and is named Hadjara Samira." "They are very beautiful." "They are the apples of my eye, as you Americans would say. I do hope to take them to your country one day." He sighed, and motioned Alex and Brett over to him. He gestured out to the land in front of him. "This is truly a beautiful country. I hope one day you can see it the way I do." The SEAL's all nodded, but none got the chance to get any words out. Because right then, an RPG hit the side of the house and blew the wall in.

Lucas shook his head, clearing the momentary daze, a ringing loud in his ears. Vaguely, he registered gunshots that sounded far off, and strange hisses that came by him too quickly to see. _"I'm being shot at."_ He shook his head again, and grabbed is rifle, and abruptly the daze was gone, replaced by the loud sounds of combat. "CONTACT!" Lucas screamed into the squad radio, and then he immediately began to shoot at the many Taliban soldiers that had appeared out of nowhere. He took cover to change out mags when he looked over and saw Brett behind an overturned table with Taylor and the two girls hiding in the corner. Their father was right next to Brett, shooting at the incoming Taliban. "BRETT!" He screamed over the radio, "YOU GOTTA GET THEM OUTTA THIS HUT!" Brett nodded, and he ushered the family out, leaving Taylor in the same spot to hide. Brett came rushing back in a moment later. "THEY GOT IN THEIR LAND ROVER AND THEY'RE HEADED OUT THE BACK WAY!" Lucas shook his head. "We are absolutely fucked."

The team quickly went out of the back of the hut and proceeded to transverse the ridgeline the way that they had came, covered by their brothers in AFO Wolfpack on the other side of the mountain valley. Finally, they reached a point where they turned and came down the backside of the mountain to the area that they had inserted and climbed up from. But at this point, as they fought back and used tactical fallback maneuvers, it quickly became evident to them that they were going to be overrun. "BASE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE NEEDING THAT EXTRACT!" "Roger that Alex. The CH-47 is nearby. Just find an LZ." "ROGER THAT!" The men moved quickly, but they were slowed by Taylor, who had been freaking out ever since the shooting started. The SEAL's were hindered by having to protect her, and often times, she refused to even move. But Brett kept pushing her, and they continued down the mountain, down the trail that they had come up. "Didn't we clear this village out yesterday?" Brett asked as they got to the village near the LZ and were forced to cover by massive amounts of Taliban fire. "Little details." Alex responded, slapping another clip in his rifle. "Neptune, this is Prowler 0-1. Primary LZ is too hot, we are having to break contact. Secondary LZ is at the bottom of the village." "ROGER THAT PROWLER 0-1! BE THERE!" Neptune rushed through the village gunning down any soldiers that got in their way, with Brett physically pulling Taylor most of the way. They reached the end of the village quickly, and Alex, Lucas, and Eric stopping to provide cover, while Alex yelled at Brett and Kelly, "GET THE PACKAGE ON THE BIRD! RPG!" The rocket barely missed them, and the chopper lifted up while the pilot yelled at the rest of the SEAL's, "FIND A TERTIARY LZ! RPG!" This rocket found it's mark, hitting the CH-47 in its second engine, causing it to fail. The pilot began to curse wildly, "SHIT, THAT'S ENGINE 2! WE HAVE LOST ENGINE 2. LOSING HYDRAULICS, LOSING ALTITUDE! NEPTUNE, WE CANNOT HOLD THIS ALTITUDE!" Brett came on the squad radio. "Alex, we're coming back for you. Do your best to stay in contact. Find a rally point. We are coming back for you."

An hour passed before the chopper landed back at Bagram. Brett motioned Kelly to began grabbing ammo for the both of them while he took Taylor back to her quarters. Her sobs and cries during the battle had turned to silent tears. He quickly had her back in her room, and , without even thinking, wrapped her in a deep embrace. "Shhhhhh. Shhhhhh. Calm down now. It's all gonna be ok." "I don't understand it Brett." She said in between tears. "Don't understand what?" "Why? Why do you keep going back? Because that...that was horrible." He kissed her forehead, and then pulled her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Look, what you did today, for those girls, that was a brave thing. I'm proud of you. Now, get a bath, and get some rest." "Is that what you're doing?" He shook his head darkly. "I'm going to get my boys back."

The new chopper lifted off and they were in the air soon after they landed, fully loaded and ready to get their men back. All of a sudden, an hour in air, about the time that they were going to land, Bagram came on the radio. "Prowler 0-1, what are you doing?" "Headed to OP Betty." "OP Betty?" "I was ordered to reinsert the SEAL's." "Who gave that order?" This came from a new man, a colonel who helped facilitate JOC ops and was well liked by all. "I did Colonel." Brett said, coming on the radio. "We're getting our men back." The radio went silent, until the pilot came on again. "Five seconds...go!" Brett nodded, and jumped out of the moving chopper. Kelly was about to go when all of a sudden an RPG hit the side of the chopper and sent it flailing around. On instinct, Kelly immediately grabbed his rifle and jumped out of the back of the plane, hitting the ground hard enough to make him cough up blood. He watched the scene before him unfold in horror, as many Taliban soldiers began to take potshots with rifles and RPG's at the damaged helicopter. Eventually, it managed to get away, and the Taliban followed it, leaving Kelly alone on top of the mountain in the middle of a snowstorm.

After a while of fighting on their own, the two SEAL's who inserted finally found one another, and the two began to work together to cover the mountain. But it was slow going, as the top of the mountain was encompassed in a snowstorm and Taliban soldiers covered its peaks and valleys searching for the missing SEAL's. They took out multiple patrols and covered their tracks well, but the weary SEAL's were not perfect, and they finally slipped up. As Kelly and Brett split up, Kelly slid through a crevice between two massive boulders and walked straight into a massive floodlight set up by the Taliban. "Don't move. They won't shoot they want you as a prisoner." Kelly looked over at the ledge to his right that Brett had climbed up. "When I say move," Brett continued, "Get in cover." Kelly nodded at the shadow that was Brett, and out of nowhere, Brett yelled, "MOVE!" And with that, Brett started shooting at the Taliban soldiers, and the area around Kelly abruptly became a firestorm. After a short but massive firefight which left all Taliban that they had encountered dead, the pair continued their search up the mountain. They followed a trail up to a lone building. Brett spoke, "Careful. Alex, Lucas, and Eric might be in here." Kelly nodded and the two breached, only to find multiple dead Taliban soldiers inside. "SEAL work." Kelly said. Brett nodded. "Looks like they left in a hurry." He responded. And then, out of the blue, the radio that had been broadcasting panicked Taliban transmissions cut off completely. "What the fuck?" Brett muttered to himself, before it clicked. But it was too late, as an RPG just then hit the house they were in. Kelly found himself slammed to the ground, watching bullets fly into the house. In his daze, he barely registered Brett grabbing him and pulling him out of a hole in the wall in the back. He pulled Kelly up once they were outside, "Are you hit? ARE YOU HIT?" Kelly shook his head, beginning to register flashes of light from the back of the house that could only be muzzle flashes. They were surrounded. Brett ran backwards to the cover of the edge of a trail behind the house. "C'MON KELLY!" Kelly slowly began to force his legs to move, but then felt himself slammed to the ground and a fiery pain explode in his back and chest. He slowly pulled himself up to find Brett looking over a steep ledge. "Bullets or broken bones? Bones heal." And with that, Brett jumped off of the edge. Kelly quickly followed suit, only seeing a rock come up at him at blazing speeds, knocking him out.

When the pair came to, they were on a cleared plain area right next to another cliff. And right in front of them were multiple armed Taliban soldiers. Kelly looked over to see Brett coughing up blood, and Kelly realized that he was doing the same. The Taliban began to point guns at them, gesturing, and Kelly felt himself be picked up roughly, and judging by the noise, the same was happening to Brett. _"It's all about to be over." _

Steve McGarrett was sitting watching in horror in the TOC as the scene unfolded. _"This can't be happening."_ He was brought out of his panicked thoughts with the idea of radioing Matt. "Matt, do you have a visual?" "Negative. Bagram, where's the goddamned air support?" "Fifteen mikes out." "Fifteen mikes? Bagram, they are in heavy contact. They don't have fifteen seconds!" He was interrupted by Danny Williams, working the drone's cameras. "Sir, we lost their IR beacons. We don't know who's who anymore." "Switch to thermal. And who's all the people surrounding them? Where are the friendlies?!" Steve replied. Chin Ho Kelly spoke up. "Sir, I have General Flagg on a teleconference call." "Put him on. _What does the jackass general want now?_ General, we have a situation on Takur Ghar." "Colonel, those SEAL's were ordered back to Bagram!" Steve looked at the image of the man incredulously, not believing what he was hearing. "Those SEAL's went after their men! Insertion was called off, but they exited under fire. We were tracking them by their strobes, but we've lost their signature." "Where's the air support you idiot?!" Kono Kalakaua interrupted the men. "Sir, I have Matt on the line." "Patch him in Kono." Steve responded. "What's your recommendation Matt?" "Sir, have Reaper 3-1 fire warning shots. If two break away, those are our guys." "Roger. Reaper 3-1, fire near the group." "COLONEL!" General Flagg yelled. "Reaper 3-1 copies, firing danger close." The men in the AC-130 responded. "COLONEL!" General Flagg screamed again. Steve ignored him, watching the shot go out. "C'mon, I know you're out there." Steve whispered to himself. The shot hit, and the group scattered. And then, suddenly, two of the bodies that hadn't moved for some time all of a sudden stood up and moved away, grabbing rifles and firing at the rest of the group. "THERE!" Steve screamed, pointing at the close up thermal image of the two men. "Oh my God, they're alive!" Kono said. Chin yelled over the radio, "Reaper 3-1, engage enemy inpursuit." "Reaper 3-1 can't be in the air at sunrise." Catherine said. Steve grabbed his vest off of the table. "Mobilize the QRF, we're getting our men back!" The General quickly butted in. "And risk losing another bird? Negative. We wait and then reassess our options once the enemy has thinned out." Steve finally snapped at the Genereal and screamed at the TV. "So now you want to reassess?! They are on top of a mountain with limited firepower, at night, and Reaper 3-1 has orders to return to the airfield before dawn. That's in fifteen minutes!" The general glared him dead in the eyes over the TV. "And by the time the QRF gets there it will be broad daylight!" "SIR WE ARE WASTING TIME!" "THAT'S IT COLONEL! YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO SQUARE THIS AWAY AND-" All of a sudden, the screen was blue, and the words no connection flashed on the screen. Kono looked up at him from her seat with a devilish gleam in her eye. "We seem to have lost the feed sir." Steve nodded and looked back at the blue screen one final time, knowing that this decision could end his career. All in the TOC looked at him expectedly. A few seconds later, he nodded. "Get me a chopper,. And mobilize the QRF!" The place instantly turned into a frenzy. Kono came on the radio. "Prowler 3, Prowler 3, mission is a go, say again, mission is a go!"

The Rangers in the CH-47 known as Prowler 3 ahd their game faces on. They knew that they were flying into a mountain that was covered in hostiles. Trevor LeBlanc laughed to himself at the thought of the humorless situation. "They cant' stay away from their ary buddies for too long, so they have to go and raise up a ruckus!" "Fifteen seconds! Go to red!" The pilot said over the radio. Trevor and the rest of the Force Recon Rangers stood up and faced the back, when all of a sudden a massive vibration was felt. The pilot began to curse. "I'm hit! I'm hit! Fuck!" The alarm began to go off and bullets began to fly through the chopper. All of a sudden, it began to pitch and sway, throwing the soldiers inside around like ragdolls. The last thing Trevor remembered was thinking, "I joined Airborne, not the Rangers. I had better not die in a chopper crash." And then the chopper slammed into the ground, and everything went black.

Lucas watched as the chopper slammed into the ground. _"Shit. Not fucking good. We got too many guys on this fucking mountain."_ Alex shook his head. "Fuck. Alright, we gotta get down there and help those guys. They can help us find Brett and Kelly." The men began to scale down the mountain to the trail that would take them around to the ridge the chopper had landed on. They heard the gunfire slow down as they made their way down. The men all just prayed that they would find the Rangers still alive when got there. They dot down the side of the cliff they had scaled and were about to enter a cave when Staff Sergeant Trevor LeBlanc and Sergeant Major Brian Drew _**(A/N: Tom Welling from Draft Day)**_ emerged from the hole in the side of the mountain. "Guys? What the fuck is going on?" Brian asked. "We have two SEAL's MIA." Eric responded. He continued, "We gotta find em. You guys in?" "Crash site is secure. We're in." "Roger that. Watch your sectors." The SEAL's began to look around and found a recently used trail that they hadn't seen before leading down the side of a ridge. They began to follow it, when all of a sudden, they saw a piece of equipment. Lucas rushed to it to examine it. "Empty mag. Painted. It's got a K on it. It's one of Kelly's." The men kept following the trail, coming across Taliban patrols left and right, but pushing through to their brothers nonetheless. They finally hit a massive fortification of boxes and rocks stacked for cover, with multiple machine guns and too many Taliban to count. Lucas and the others dived to the ground as the air above their heads became a firestorm. Lucas went on the comms. "Kono, I need everything we've got!" "Roger that Lucas. The jets and Reaper 3-1 are gone, but we have the CIA predator drone." "Fucking do it!" "Roger that." The shots came in and shook the mountain, blowing all Taliban that had been on the other side of the ravine that separated the SEAL's from them to kingdom come. The SEAL's rushed over, when all of a sudden, Alex took off running. "I've got another cave!" He yelled at the rest of the men following him. The men all ran through the cave to the end, finding no one. But at the very end of the cave, instead of an opening or a rocky end, they saw a metal wall with a locked door. "Breach!" Alex screamed, and Lucas quickly kicked the door in.

Brett looked up from the chair that he was tied to, and saw the SEAL's enter the room. He shook off the daze and tried to direct them to Kelly. After the men had somewhat escaped from their pursuers, they had fought until running out of ammo, which then turned into fierce hand to hand combat. But the SEAL's had eventually been overwhelmed, captured, and brought back to the cave they were now in, and tortured. Brett had faired as well as one could, but due to his injuries, Kelly was right on the brink. The SEAL's quickly untied them and picked them up, supporting them as they all walked out of the door, the cave, and back to the crash site.

Alex supported Kelly as the men all headed out and down to the crash site. "Steve, this is Alex!" "Go Alex." "We got Brett and Kelly. We are moving back to Prowler's LZ. We need extraction now!"Kelly looked up slowly, everything a daze, to see Lucas in front of him. He spoke, "Way to go. Keep it up Kelly. You're doing good. Almost there." Steve came over the comms. "WILCO. Get Kelly to the LZ. We have visual." Alex responded, "Kelly's really fucked up! We're gonna need immediate CASEVAC for him!" "Roger that. Get to the helo, they have secured the perimeter. That is your extraction point..." The voice of Steve in Kelly's ear slowly drifted as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Kelly came to when he was laid down next to the bird by Alex, who grabbed his shoulder in reassurance that everything was going to be alright. Brian Drew came up and tapped Alex on the shoulder. "How's he doing?" Then he looked at Kelly and spoke. "Hey Kelly, hang in there. We got you. We got you." Kelly slowly looked up in his daze to see Alex talking to HQ. "Steve? How are we doing on that extraction?" "Alex, we're working on it." Lucas came over when he saw Kelly begin to drift away and shook him up. "Doing good brother. You're doing good. " He looked back at Alex. "What the fuck Alex? Where's our extraction?" Alex nodded and began speaking again. "Steve, Alex is bleeding to death. Where the fuck is our extraction?..." The last statement drifted off as Kelly felt himself drift away.

Brett shook him awake, his face all bloodied from the terrorists torture. He smiled at him and patted his shoulder in reassurance. Alex was there too, until Steve came on the radio. "Alex, this is Steve. Nightstalkers are on the way. They're coming from Kandahar." Alex walked away angrily. "Well that's not going to fucking work. Kelly is hanging on by a thread!" "He's a warrior. He's gonna make it. Birds are en route." Lucas came over to kneel next to Eric, who was supporting Rabbit whenever he began to slip to unconsciousness. "He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay..." Lucas said to himself. Alex walked back up. "What's the deal?" Lucas angrily asked him. "Birds are coming from Kandahar. We have to wait." Lucas shook his head and stood up angrily. He quickly got on his radio. "Steve, this is Lucas. What the fuck is going on? Kelly's gonna die if we don't get him off this fucking mountain now!"

Kelly felt himself being shaken awake by Lucas. "You're almost there brother, you're almost there. Just hang on." Lucas's head shot up to the sky when he heard chopper blades. Just then, the chopper pilot came on the radio. "Neptune, this is Prowler 4. On approach to LZ. Proceed with SITREP of the enemy positions near the LZ." Alex walked around, about to talk, when Kelly felt his head drop and his vision go blurry, and his hearing almost fade out. He faintly heard Alex yelling, "Prowler 4, this is Neptune 0-1, no enemy! The LZ is ice! Say again, the LZ is ice!" Kelly felt it all go faint for the last time, and his head began to fall. Lucas yelled, "We're losing him! We're losing him!" And for the final time, Kelly felt everything fade away and saw everything turn to white light.

"...Jets coming in for 're Finishing off whatever is left down there." A voice from combat control said. The chopper pilot responded, "Roger that. Bagram, they weren't lying. They killed everything down there." "We're making sure of it." The SEAL's all sat in the back of the chopper with the back open. Down the aisle in between the seats were the bodies of Kelly and the Rangers who had died in the crash. Lucas reached down and pulled off Kelly's dogtags, holding them in his hands. As he studied them, he spoke, "This isn't how it's supposed to end." "No." Alex responded with a tear in his eye, "It isn't."


	24. Chapter 22

_**December 24**__**th**__**, 2014**_

_**Months have passed since the Operation Red Wings and the operation on Mount Takur Ghar. Since then, the SEAL's haven't had any casualties. But the deployment has been long and hard on the SEAL's and their families. It's been six months since Lucas and the ranger transfers have seen their families, and it's been seven for the rest of the SEAL's. There are still 3 months left until the SEAL's rotate back from deployment.**_

Brooke and the rest of the Tree Hill gang all sat around the tree on Christmas in Lucas's house, laughing and talking amongst themselves as they all celebrated Christmas before they all went and did so with their individual families. Nathan sat with his arm around Haley on the couch as they both laughed and flirted with one another, while Keith and Karen did the same. Deb and Dan sat together, each drinking a beer. Rachel, Mouth, Skills, and Brooke all sat together talking. Everything was normal. _"Except Lucas isn't here."_ Brooke reached over and picked up a picture of Lucas. This one was of him at a formal dinner at Bagram, with him in full formal Navy Officer Dress Blues. She smiled and ran her hand over the picture._ "I love you Lucas. So so so very much."_ She put the picture back down and went back to talking with her friends and family, trying desperately to ignore the hole in her heart.

Later in the night, the laughter had continued and the alcohol had started to get to the adults. Dan said something about Nathan still not being able to keep up with him on the court, and the entire room exploded in laughter. Karen stood up, laughing, and spoke. "Ok, now that Dan's glory days have gotten even larger and better, let's get to presents before he says he beat Michael Jordan one on one." There was more laughter, and the group began to sort out the presents. Excited chatter and eggnog reigned supreme as the opening began. It took an hour, but the gifts were all given out and opened, and just one was left under the tree. Brooke got off of her seat on the couch and walked over to the tree, knelt down, and picked it up. The tag said that it was from Lucas, addressed to everyone. "How on earth did that get there?" Haley asked, as the rest of the group gathered around Brooke, excited, albeit bewildered. They opened up the small package and pulled out a DVD. She quickly walked over to the TV and put it in. The TV all of sudden showed Lucas's face, with him in full battle gear, minus the rifle and spec ops helmet. He was smiling while tapping on the camera of his laptop, adjusting it. After he got it to an angle that he liked, he sat back in his chair, smiling wider. "Hey guys." He said, his voice coming somewhat broken. "So, over here, it's early morning, December 19th, but you guys are gonna be seeing this on Christmas Eve when y'all get together. Just wanted to tell you guys that I love y'all and that I can't wait to see you, even though it's gonna be 3 months. I hope y'all are having a great Christmas Eve. Dan, try and chill on the spiked eggnog." As Lucas laughed on the screen, the rest of the family burst into laughter while Dan's face heated up and he set down the eggnog. When they all looked back, they saw Lucas with tears in his eyes, and his voice began to crack. "You know...you know, I never wanted it to be like this. All I wanted was to serve my country. I didn't want to leave y'all, and I didn't want to see what I've seen. I was just a kid trying to make this world a better place." He coughed, and tried to clear his voice. "Hell, I don't know why I'm telling you all of that. It just all came out, I guess. Point is, I got you guys a present. It's big, but nothing to special. I think you guys will like it. I got some help, and I pulled some strings, so some soldiers dropped it off while y'all were watching the video. I love you guys so much. Never forget that. Now go open the front door." With that, the video clicked off, and Brooke jumped up and ran to the front door, yanking it open. She fell to her knees, her hands over her mouth, tears coming out of her eyes. Dressed in the Navy Officer Dress Blues, with the SEAL emblem on the front of his coat, the figure spoke. "Hey pretty girl."

It was Lucas.

She jumped up and wrapped herself in his arms, and he picked her up, kissing her hard on the lips. He smiled into the kiss, wrapping her even tighter in his arms and spinning her around before setting her down. "Happy to see me?" He asked with a smirk. She responded by kissing him on the lips again. He pulled her closer, and she put her head on his shoulder, before yanking her head away from him and smacking him on the side of the face. "Lucas! You have everyone else here!" He smiled and kissed her one more time, before walking up to his mother, who was crying happy tears, kissing her on the cheek, and wrapping her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're ok Luke." "Of course I'm ok mama." He squeezed her one more time and then went to Haley and did the same. "I'm glad you're ok Scott." "I'm great Hales. I'm good, I promise." He went and talked and hugged everyone else, and they all sat down and began excitedly talking to one another. Brooke sat on Lucas's lap, her head on her shoulder, as happy as she could be. "Everything is just like it's supposed to be."

Zoe Hart stood up on the stage at the end of the Christmas Eve program in the old firehouse in the middle of Bluebell, Alabama. She tapped the microphone and looked out on the crowd, who quieted down. She began to speak. "So, as the newest member of the town, I'm supposed to get up here and toast the town. It's a great tradition that a Yankee like me doesn't do. I'm still gonna toast. I'm toasting a friend of ours. A friend who's been gone for a long time. A friend who's the reason that we're all here right now." She looked out on the crowd and spotted Tori, Andre, and the rest of the group. Zoe nodded to them, and then raised her glass. "To Alex. And all our boys over there." "To Alex." The rest of the town replied, and all drank. "While I appreciate the gesture, you can't toast someone who's already back." The voice came from the back, and Zoe, instantly recognizing the voice dropped her glass, which shattered. Tori shot up from her seat, and turned around. Alex stepped out of the shadows in the back of the building in full Navy Officer Dress Blues. "Course, I would appreciate a glass, if someone would be so kind." Tori rushed over to him, half laughing at his comment, half happily crying that her husband was home. He picked her up and kissed her hard. "I love you baby." "Welcome home soldier."

Taylor Swift finished off the last note of the encore of "Style," and threw her head back, listening to the roar of the crowd. "THANK YOU CHARLOTTE! I LOVE YOU, AND GOODNIGHT!" She turned around to walk off of the stage, but her lead guitarist and band leader stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder. He spoke, "One second Taylor. We've got a little present for you on this Christmas Eve. You see audience, Taylor here has got a man that she loves. She's loved him since high school. And while things haven't worked as well as they could have, they recently reconnected. Problem is, he's in Afghanistan right now. But he wanted us to give her a special Christmas present." "And that's me." Taylor whipped her head around, and sank to her knees, hands over her mouth that was dropped to the floor. Brett stood there in his full officer dress blues. She took off running to the edge of the stage as Brett stepped out of the edge of the shadows of the stage with flowers. She jumped into his arms and kissed him hard, as the audience went wild. Taylor smiled into the kiss, and Brett smiled back. "I'm home beautiful. I'm home. And there's nothing else other than you and me."

At Disney World, the Christmas performance finished, and Elsa, hand in hand with the other actors and actresses, bowed one final time, before raising her head up to see a man in a Navy digital desert uniform clapping, his eyes glimmering with pride. Elsa smiled through tears, her hand over her mouth, as she saw the deep blue eyes that she would recognize anywhere. She took off from the stage and ran down the stairs, into the crowd, and into the arms of the man that she loved. "I missed you so much Elsa." She cried into his shoulder after finishing her kiss. "Welcome home baby."

Kim kicked a tackling dummy one final time, and bent over, her hands on her knees. Jerry, Milton, and Rudy walked up to her. "Christmas Eve workout?" Rudy asked. She nodded, fresh tears in her eyes, Her mentor smiled compassionately and wrapped her in a tight hug. "He's fine. I promise." She nodded, but her tears kept coming. "So, tell me, did you not get a big enough gift for Christmas? Cause most people don't cry on Christmas Eve." Kim instantly recognized the cocky brunettes voice, and she whipped around to see the long brown hair and the tan skin that she loved so much. She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shoulder. "Hey now, don't cry babe. It's all fine. I'm right here." She smiled through her tears. "They aren't sad tears silly. They're happy tears. You're home. Nothing could make me happier." Jack kissed her on the cheek, and squeezed her tighter. "I'm glad to be home babe."

Troy walked up behind the group of friends, and tapped his wife on the shoulder. She turned around, a drink in her hand, and then her eyes went wide. He smiled, and spoke. "Hey Gabby." She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hey Troy." He pulled her close, and she put her head on his shoulder, until she pulled away. No sooner had she done that than was he almost tackled by his best friend Chad. He smiled and wrapped the man in a tight hug. "Welcome home bro." "Thanks bro. It's good to see you." As he went through the same routine with all of his former classmates, he couldn't help but think that he was finally comfortable, and he was finally home.

Matt walked into his house and saw his sleeping wife. "You're so beautiful baby." He said as he laid a kiss on her lips. She woke up, smiling and stretching. Then she saw Matt, and her eyes shot open. "Matt!" "Hey babe." She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her cheek. "You're home." She whispered. "I'm home baby." He responded.

Lucas and Brooke in bed after having made love to Brooke, and he wrapped her in a tight embrace. She traced her hand around his body, pointing and prodding. "You've gotten a lot bigger." "Being a SEAL means you work out just a tad more." He said with a chuckle. She traced a tattoo on his right shoulder. "Is this the SEAL emblem?" She asked as she traced it. He nodded. "Yeah. Figured since now I was in there I should get the tattoo." She pointed at a list of names and a date that were inscribed on his right peck. "What's that?" He sighed and rolled over, and Brooke put her head on his shoulder while laying on top of him. "Lucas?" She felt tears run onto her shoulder. He spoke, his voice choked up. "It's the names and dates from Red Wings. And Kelly's...and Mikey's." There was a silence for a minute. "What happened on that mountain Luke?" He shook his head. "I can't Brooke. Not now. I just...I can't." "Ok Lucas. Just know that I'm always here. I promise." "I love you Brooke. Always and forever." And with that, he pulled her close, and the couple fell asleep. Together.


	25. Chapter 23

(A/N: Lucas looks like he does in S4E5)

January 5th, 2015

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

The clock read five A.M., and Brooke sighed and rolled over, groaning at the clock. "Make it stop... Lucas, make it stoppppppp." She angrily rolled over to slap the sleeping form with her hand, But sat up in a shock when she felt nothing but air. Her head snapped over to see the empty sheets. She rolled out of the bed, pulled a robe on, and rushed down the stairs and outside. The sky was still dark, and the pre morning darkness was freezing cold. Brooke stood out in the front yard, looking down the street both ways, trying to spot Lucas_. "He's got to be out here. The question is where?"_

Lucas, however, was nowhere near. He had woken up much earlier, 3 in the morning to be exact. After pushups and the like, he had gone out to run. Running, even before the SEAL's, had always helped him clear his head. But now, his concerns were much more than basketball and high school drama. As he ran, images flashed through his head. He saw Mike, Axe, Danny, Kelly, and all of his other brothers that weren't with him anymore. He saw the bullets flying at him on all of the missions, and he saw the face of the Taliban soldier who tackled him during Red Wings. All of those images and many more flashed through his head as he ran. In the two weeks that he had been home, he had spent all of the time he had with his family and friends. But through it all, as much as he had tried to push it all to the back of his mind and forget about it all, nothing had changed. The memories from his deployment weren't going away. And there was nothing that he could do about it. _"It's figurative, really. I'm running right now.__ Just like__ I'm running away from it all."_

An hour later, the sun was slowly rising up over the mountains outside of Tree Hill. And as for Lucas, he was sitting beside the river court on the table, looking out on the river. His oversized gray SEAL's hoodie had the hood pulled up over his head, and he stared out over the water. "Thinking deep thoughts?" Lucas slowly turned his head to see Keith walkup. Lucas lightly laughed and patted the seat next to him. "Always. What are you doing up this early out here anyways?" "Because I knew you would be Lucas. Karen called me. She said Brooke was in a frenzy trying to find you this morning. I knew you would be here." Lucas looked away to the river angrily. "I just went for a run Keith. It's no big deal." There was silence for a minute as the pair looked out over the river, before Keith spoke. "You know something Lucas," He began, "You've always been a runner. You play basketball, which makes you run, you run to clear your head, you joined the SEAL's, who are definitely going to make you run. Running is a good thing some of the time. A lot of the time even. But you can't run from your problems Lucas. You can't run from your past. At some point you have to stand up and face your problems. Just something to think about." Keith patted Lucas on the back and walked away. "Keith...wait." Keith stopped and looked back. "What is it Lucas?" "I don't want what happened over there to affect y'all over here." "Then don't Lucas. You can do this. I believe in you. We all do." "Thanks Keith." Keith smiled. "You're welcome Luke." And with that, he turned and walked away.

Elsa turned her head over to see empty sheets. She sighed. _"He's gone even when he isn't."_ She looked up and out to the patio of the apartment overlooking the disney lake. There stood Eric, quietly sipping a mug of coffee. She slowly got up and wrapped herself on a blanket before walking out into the morning chill. She walked up behind him, kissed his cheek, and wrapped her arms around him. "It's good to have you home." "It's good to be home. So what are you doing today?" "Normal disney princess stuff. You?" "Thinking about surprising my own princess." He smiled and pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead before wrapping her up again. "I missed you. So much." "I missed you too."

Lucas walked through the door and was immediately drilled by Brooke with a hug, causing him to nearly fall over. "Woah now Brooke, calm down." He said with a laugh. "What's wrong?" "You left you stupid jerk! I was worried!" He laughed again and pulled her close. "I just went for a run like I do every morning. Difference is that you actually woke up on time this morning." He laughed and rubbed his arm as he received a punch from Brooke. "Don't laugh Lucas. I'm serious." "And so am I. I promise I'm ok, and I promise I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Ok?" "Ok." He pulled her into a kiss before speaking again. "Now let's get you to school." "Uhhhhhhhhhh. Jerk." She punched him again and he laughed as he threw her over his shoulder to take her down to his truck to take her to school.

The entire group of friends all sat together out in the quad, despite the cold. They all sat together laughing and joking around with one another, with it finally feeling right now that Lucas was back with them, even if he had graduated early and was no longer a student. Nathan had just made a joke about Mouth and stood up to throw away some trash as the entire group laughed, Mouths face red as a beet, when he was slammed into by someone who was quickly walking by. Anger rose up in him, and he was about to yank the person around when the person turned around and glared at him. "Look around jock. There's other people here." He turned and stormed off, leaving an angry Nathan being held back by a confused Lucas. "Was that Jimmy Edwards?" Nathan, still seething, nodded. "Wait here." Lucas told him, before jogging off after Jimmy.

"Jimmy! Wait up!" The figure didn't slow, but Lucas quickly caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Jimmy. What's up man? It's been a while." He scoffed at Lucas. "Yeah it has soldier boy." Lucas felt an anger rise up in the way he said it, but he quickly pushed the feeling back down. "So how ya been? You look a little different. Still announcing basketball?" He scoffed again and rolled his eyes. "Don't you have a war to go fight? Leave me alone soldier boy." The anger, even stronger this time, rose up again, but Lucas, albeit with difficulty, suppressed the feeling. "C'mon man, I'm just trying to catch up with my friend." "Well I'm not your friend. So why don't you go hangout with those other baby killers?" He said menacingly, pointing at the plaques for Mike, Axe, and Danny that had been set up in honor of the three soldiers. "Excuse me?" He said, his voice lowering as he stepped forward and glared down at Jimmy. "They got what they deserved. Why don't you go join them? Or do you need a general or something to order you to do it?" "You-" The anger overwhelmed Lucas, who moved to punch Jimmy, but was quickly yanked back by Nathan and Skills, who struggled to hold him down. "Easy Luke. Easy." Nathan said, trying to calm him down. Jimmy rolled his eyes and stormed off. A minute later, Lucas stopped struggling. "I'm good. I'm good. You can let go. I'm good." The teens let go if Lucas, who stood up and smoothed out his jacket. "Hit a nerve huh dawg?" "Yeah Skills. You could say that. What the hell happened to him anyways?" "He stopped hanging out with us dawg. Found a new group. Been like that for a while." "I need to go talk to him." Nathan interjected, "No Luke." "But-" "No Luke. Jimmy's been making some bad choices, but he needs to decide that he wants to go back to the old Jimmy. You can't do that for him. For now, it's best to just leave him be." "Maybe he just needs a friend Nate!" "Haley and Mouth and his other old friends have tried. He's closed everybody out. No one knows why, he just has. And it sucks, but you need to let this go!" "But-" Nathan put his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "Let it go Luke." Lucas looked away, but nodded his head in agreement. Nathan, satisfied, patted his shoulder and walked back to the group, leaving a angry and confused Lucas wondering_, "What the hell has been going on?"_

The day went by without further incidents, and at lunch, Brooke hopped in the car with Haley and groaned, throwing her feet up. "Haleyyyyyyyyyyy." "What is it Brooke?" "I don't like school. I don't wanna go anymore." She said, putting her hands over her face. Haley just laughed. "Don't be such a cheerleader." "Excuse me Haley James Scott?" "Don't be over dramatic Brooke." Haley put her hand on her chest, faking indignity. "What? Me? Over dramatic? Why, Haley James Scott, what gave you that idea?" The two girls laughed, and as Haley went to change the song playing on her phone, a puzzled look covered her face. Brooke looked over, concerned. "What is it Hales?" "It might be nothing, but you know how our entire group is on life360?" Brooke nodded, playfully smiling. "My idea so thay we wouldn't lose drunk friends." "Righttttt. Anyways, it has Lucas all the way up at the hunting ranch in the valley." "What's he doing up there?" "He didn't say anything about it this morning...I didn't wanna say anything Brooke, but I'm worried about him. He's not all there right now. What happened over there has affected him a lot deeper than we thought." "And you think that's why he's up there?" "I don't know Brooke...I just don't know."

Up in the mountain valley, about two hours away from Tree Hill, a cloudy day masked the sun, leaving it even colder than the winter day was already. Lucas wore a red plaid jacket with blue jeans and tan combat boots. Cans, the military headphones, covered his ears as he shot at the targets set up on the ranch's shooting range. A dark look covered his face as he shot his M4, memories of ops replaying in his head. Always the worst ones. Red Wings and Takur Ghar were on an endless replay in his head, despite his attempts to shake them. _"When is this gonna stop?"_ He finished off the last clip and set the rifle down. He stood still for a moment, then rolled his head back and screaming, before sliding down to the ground, his back against a wood fence post, his head in his hands_. "Why? Why? WHY?!"_ He screamed in his mind, as he replayed the ops in his head yet again. But despite being one with words, Lucas, for once, had no answer to that question.

Brooke and Haley pulled up the dirt road drive to the ranch, both looking intently out of the windows for Lucas. Neither of the girls were tired, as they both had spent the entire four hour drive worrying about Lucas. Both had heard the stories when they visited Fort Marshall of Special Warfare Operators who lost it all when they came back, unable to return back to the normal they once occupied. And despite the girls' best efforts, they couldn't keep the dark thoughts from lingering in the back of their mind. The car pulled up next to Lucas's truck, and Brooke quickly hopped out, screaming, "LUCAS!" She ran through the ranch house screaming his name, before running out of the backdoor to find a figure curled up in a ball rocking back and forth against the fence. She rushed over, worried for his safety, before hearing the sobs. It stopped her dead in her tracks. She had only heard Lucas cry one time ever before in her life, on the night of their first breakup, when he had found her in bed with Chris Keller. But now, she found him, not just crying, but sobbing, completely defenseless. She slowly walked over, hesitantly sitting down, before slowly pulling him close, whispering, "Lucas?" He didn't say a word, but the sobs did quiet to tears. She held him close, rocking him back and forth. "Shhhhh, it's gonna be ok baby. I promise."

The pair stayed that way for a while, with Haley, satisfied that everything would be alright with just the two of them, leaving to head back to Tree Hill. Brooke and Lucas stayed there in the pasture next to the shooting range until almost dark, holding one another, before heading inside, where Lucas got the fire going. The tears had quieted, and Lucas quietly joked, "This could have been so much more romantic. I might have gotten laid." Brooke laughed and came over to kiss him, before wrapping herself in his arms. "What's wrong Lucas?" There was a silence for a minute, before he responded. "The families of Axe, Danny, and Mikey all sent out the funeral dates. One after the other after the other. They're burying them in Arlington Cemetery." "Wow...What an honor. Has my aunt sent out the invitations to family yet?" "She said that you should get them today or tomorrow in the mail. She called me, said...said that I deserved to know first." "And you don't think you do..." "It should have been me on that mounatin Brooke. Not them." And as hard as Brooke tried, she didn't have an answer for that. "So what do we do now Lucas?" And as hard as Lucas tried, he didn't have an answer for that.

_**A/N: So, I need to know from y'all, should I continue on and finish senior year and make a four to five year time jump to season 5 after that or should I go ahead and do it now? Essentially, do y'all want me to continue with them as that time in between teenager and adulthood, with Jimmy Edwards, the school shooting, and Naley's wedding, or do y'all want me to jump to their adulthood where they're all back at the school, mentoring, Lucas in between deployments, and the beginning of the Quentin Fields era? Review. DM,as I wanna know what y'all think!**_


	26. Chapter 24

(A/N- First, I updated a ton of stuff in the story, and I added a prologue of Lucas's SEAL training, which is the new first chapter. I made Lucas a SEAL from day one, so he was never in the army from now on, just serving alongside them. Second, this is the school shooting segment with my twist. IF you don't like that whole ordeal, then I would suggest not reading. Thanks, and review!)

February 12th, 2015

Lucas jogged back into Brookes house to catch Brooke as she was getting up. He smiled at her and kissed her still near sleeping form. She smiled lightly and pulled him down into a tight embrace. "Morning pretty girl." "Morning Luke. You're late." She said, teasing him. He smiled widely. "And how am I late Miss Davis?" "You're supposed to be my alarm clock. But I was awake before you came in." "I'm sorry baby. I'll make it up to you, I promise." He said, smiling even wider. She winked at him, getting a devilish look in her eye. "And I think that I have just the idea." She said, before swing Lucas down onto the bed and crawling on top of him, kissing him hard. The two laughed, and Lucas rolled her over on her back, before pulling up. "BUttttttt you have school." She glared and faked punched him. "You're no fun." "I get that a lot. Now hurry and shower and get dressed. I'm gonna finish my run and grab the truck and come pick you up. I'll bring breakfast to." "How on earth did I get so lucky to have you?" Lucas kissed her in response before getting up and jogging off.

Lucas pulled up to the school in his old 1988 Ford F150 about forty five minutes before the bell was to ring to start school. He hopped out, slid across the hood, and opened Brookes door, offering her a hand as she stepped out. She nodded and spoke in a fake British accent, "Why thank you sir!" "Why you're welcome madame!" The two laughed and headed into the school to meet their friends, with Lucas's arm pulling Brooke close into him. As the two walked in, Lucas happened to look over and see Jimmy smoking a cigarette with some rough looking guys he had never seen before. He leaned over to Brooke and whispered, "Has he always smoked?" "No. Just recently started." Lucas nodded, looking over at Jimmy worriedly.

The pair walked up to all of their friends sitting on benches out in the quad, despite the freezing temperatures. Everyone greeted one another, and they all excitedly began to talk about what they were going to be doing for the rest of the week. "Lucas, what are you doing today?""Haley asked. "Meeting a bunch of the team guys down at Fort Marshall for a training session." "You should be in school young man." She said in a fake condescending tone, before the two laughed. "Yes ma'am...but I'm not." The bell rang to let students inside, and the group all got up to leave. Lucas received hugs and broshakes from all of them before kissing Brooke goodbye. "Be safe out there today baby." "I will. I promise." Haley came up to him and gave him a hug. "Seriously, be safe out there. Don't know what I would do without my best friend." "I'll be fine Hales. You guys take it easy today. I'll see y'all tonight." With that, he waved, and walked back to his truck.

A few minutes later, he pulled up to his house to see a bunch of the guys, who had come over to stay with him for a few days, as well as see a big Ravens game. Brett, Alex, Jack, Eric, Matt, Troy, and Matthew Casey were all there, waiting for him outside. Lucas stopped the truck, got out, and went to do spec ops handshakes with all of them. "Bout ready to head out?" Alex asked. Lucas nodded, "Yup. My truck seats five. We can stick the go bags in the toolbox and the rest of the crap in the bed. Did Jack drive his?" "Yeah, I did." Jack said, speaking up. "Nice hair bud!" Lucas said, reaching over to mess with the long hair before getting playfully smacked in the head by Jack. "Alright, good. Four with me, four with him." Matt nodded. "Let's do this thing." The guys all yelled, slapping one another on the back and heading to the trucks, tossing their go bags in the toolboxes and their duffels in the bed, before turning on the trucks and driving, with music blaring and men yelling at the top of their lungs.

Jimmy took one last smoke as he watched the group that had been around him walk into the school. "Here we go." And with one last puff, he turned around and threw the cigarette into the ground, before walking into the school. He walked in, stepping around people before getting to his locker, to find that all of his stuff had been thrown out on the floor by Russ and his friends. They were standing over his locker, before they turned around and walked by him, shoving into him to knock him around. "What a loser." Russ said as they all laughed.

And with that comment, Jimmy snapped.

Brooke and Peyton were just walking through the halls together when they saw it. Jimmy turned around and pulled something out of his hoodie. He lifted his arm to reveal a gun aimed directly at the girls. Eyes went wide and the hallway froze to a standstill for a moment as the girls stood there frozen, watching his finger slowly pull back on the trigger. Then there was a loud bang, glass shattered, and people took off running. Brooke felt herself pushed from Peyton and she took off running through the nearest hall, panicking. She yanked out her cellphone as she ran and quickly dialed Lucas's number. "LUCAS?!" She screamed when she heard the line click.

"Brooke?" Lucas asked, concern in his voice as he quieted the country music and waved his friends silent. She was crying and in hysterics, but Lucas still heard her speak, and the news sent cold chills reverberating through his body. "Lucas somebody has a gun inside of the school and they're shooting and I lost Peyton and-" Lucas felt a cold fire whip inside of him. He spoke deadly calm. "Brooke, listen to me, where are you?" "Near the tutor center-" "Haley is there. She knows what to do. Get inside and tell her to lock the door. Don't open it until I get there." Lucas heard the door close and heavy breathing of several people. Brookes voice lowered from a yell to a whisper. "Lucas...I'm scared." "I know baby. Calm down. I'm gonna be there soon. It'll all be over soon." "I love you Lucas." "I love you too Brooke. Now stay calm babe. I'm gonna fix this" He hung up the phone and slammed his fist on the wheel, screaming, before yanking the handbrake and whipping the truck around to face the other way. Jack slowed to a stop next to him and rolled down his window. "What the hell Luke?" Everyone looked at him, wondering what was going on. Lucas, however, had a cold expression, a fire in his eyes. It was a look that was only seen before a fight. "Someone brought a gun inside the school. He shot at Brooke and Peyton. And he's gonna pay." The men all looked at one another and nodded, and Alex spoke. "We're with you brother. Whatever it takes."

They drove to the school as fast as they could to find the police setting up barriers. Dan was pacing outside, talking with the principal. Lucas whipped to a stop and jumped out, running to Dan. "Dan, what the hell is going on?" "There's at least one person inside with a gun, and we think that there's more of them." "Get the cops out of the way. We'll handle this." He said, gesturing to the SEAL's behind him. "I can't let you do that Lucas." "Why not?" "Because I can't have both of my sons in danger!" Lucas pulled Dan close to him and stared him down. "That's not just a bunch of my friends somewhere inside of that school. That's my family. And I WILL get them back. And you're not going to stop me." Dan looked away, but slowly nodded. Lucas grabbed his shoulder and handed him a card. "That's the number for General Holden, one of my CO's. Tell him."

Haley took one more quick look down the now quiet hallway, and then shut the door, locking it. Her, Skills, Rachel, Brooke, a Hispanic teen named Marcus, and Lucas's old friend Jimmy were all in the room together. "Alright. Everybody stay down and stay calm. That's what Lucas would do. We're safe here." She said, looking at the people gathered in the room. She turned back to look at the wall and prayed to herself that they police would get there quickly.

Lucas moved at the head of his team, all dressed in gray PCU's with tan spec ops helmets, tank kevlar vests, and tan combat boots. They were all armed with either M4's or silenced MK11's. They glided down the hallway silently before hearing a noise come out of an office. Lucas gestured for the team to stop and then nodded to Alex. Alex silently moved forward and grabbed the door handle, before yanking it open. Lucas quickly moved in and yanked his rifle up to see...Nathan. He held a baseball bat and was clearly heading out to find Haley. He nodded at Luke and tried to walk by, but Lucas held out his arm and stopped him. "So you think you have a plan?" "Yeah. I'm going to the tutor center and I'm going to get Haley." Lucas walked over and shut the door. "What are you doing?" Nathan asked incredulously. "Your plan sucks." Lucas responded plainly. "You got a better one?" "Yeah. You turn around and let us handle this." Lucas said, gesturing to the SEAL's holding position in the hallway. "You guys can't go through the entire school." Lucas stepped forward and pushed the baseball bat down. "And what. You think you're gonna stop a bullet with a baseball bat?" He put his gun down and grabbed Nathan's shoulders. "Hey Nathan, hey, someone has a GUN in here." "Lucas, I know that, ok? I know this is stupid. But what if something happens to Haley, huh? What if I walk away and something happens to Haley?" Lucas looked away. Nathan continued. "Are you gonna live with that?" "Most heroes are dead Nate." Lucas responded flatly. "It's Haley, Lucas." He moved by Lucas and opened the door. "Nathan, I can't stop you from going. Well, I could, but I'm not. But I can't protect you from whatever is here." "I know Lucas."

"We need to get out of here." Marcus said. "No, we need to stay put. That's procedure." "And I'm saying lockdown is crap. If whoever is out there is a student then they know where we're out." "Let's break the windows." Rachel said. "No, they lead to an enclosed courtyard. They're only for light." Haley said. "Besides," Skills said, "We get to breaking windows we gonna draw attention to ourselves." "And you don't think that a locked door isn't gonna tell whatever psychopath that is out there that we're in here?" Marcus asked. "Why would you call them a psychopath?" Jimmy asked, speaking up. Everyone looked at him. "Has something to do with him trying to kill us all fat ass." Marcus responded.

Lucas motioned the team into a main hall near the library. "There's blood." He whispered, nodding to the ground near the door. "Could be Payton." "You don't know that Lucas." Jack said. "It's somebody's." Lucas responded. "The library doors don't lock. It's not safe." "Then I'll go check." Jack said. Lucas nodded and waved him towards the library, before moving the team down the hallway.

Jack slid through the doors silently and moved up to an overhang that looked down on the library. He held his M4 up and checked the corners, trying to see if there was a shooter. Seeing nothing, he silently walked down the stairs to the main floor and began checking the rows, following the trail of blood. He had just about finished the library when he heard a creak of something moving behind one of the bookshelves. He moved to the edge of the small shelf and readied his rifle, before taking a deep breath and sliding over, his gun aimed down at where he heard the sound. But he didn't see a shooter. Instead, he saw a blonde teenage girl, who seeing him, cried out. "Ma'am?" He asked, rushing down to help her. "Ow! My leg. I-I think I got cut by some glass." "What's your name?" Peyton." "Alright Peyton, everything is gonna be fine...ok but your not. Shit, that's deep. We gotta get you somewhere safe. Come on." "No! I can't. I tried putting weight on it earlier and it I can't walk-I tried and-" "Shhhhhh. Ok, I-" Jack tried to stand up but she grabbed his arm. "No, don't leave me, please." "Shhhh, I'm not. I'm just gonna go block the entrance and we'll hide, wait this out, ok? Listen to me...I'm not leaving you Peyton."

Nathan walked down the hall when he heard quick footsteps approaching. He snaked behind a wall before catching the figure and slamming him against the wall. It was Mouth. "Mouth? What are you doing in here?" "I was in the AV room and it's like dawn of the dead." "Mouth don't say dead. Someone has a gun in the school." "We gotta get outta here." "Yeah, you gotta get out of here. I've gotta find Hales." Mouth took a long look at the bat in Nathan's hand before responding, "I'll stay with you." Nathan nodded, and the two headed to the tutor center.

The kids in the tutor center were all trying to use their phones when they heard the knob move. They all jumped up and ran to the door. The pulling stopped and a card was slid under the door. It was Nathans ID. "It's Nathan." Haley said, before jumping up to open the door. Marcus rushed to her. "No way. We don't know it's him." "It's his license!" "How do you know someone didn't kill him and take his ID?" "She can't leave him out there!" Rachel said, shooting up. "Don't open that door." Marcus said. "Shut up shut up." Haley responded, before going to the door. "Always?" "And forever." Nathan's voice came back saying. "It's him." She said, unlocking the door. "No way." Marcus said, pushing her out of the way. Skills shot up and grabbed him, pulling him away and slamming him against the wall. "Look, if she say it's him, it's him. Open the door." The door opened and Nathan rushed in, pulling Haley close. "Thank god. Come here. You ok?" "Yeah...what's going on out there?" "I don't know, but we're getting out of here, ok? All of us, let's go." "DON'T." A voice said. Everyone turned to see Jimmy with a pistol pointed at them. "Nobody's going anywhere."

Lucas nodded at Alex, and the two turned a corner, before immediately throwing themselves back. "You see that?" He asked him. The older SEAL gravely nodded. "Call it in." Alex told Eric. "Roger that. This is Thunder 3-1, be advised, Thunder Actual, we have confirmed sightings of multiple heavily armed hostiles within the school. Are we cleared to engage?" "You are cleared to engage Thunder 3-1. Use of deadly force is authorized." Alex and Lucas silently slid out into the hallway so that they could see the two college aged kids carrying AK-47's. "Whoever it was didn't act alone. This was planned." "Roger that Alex." "Lucas, are you sure you want to do this? You went to school with these kids." "Whatever it takes to keep my family safe." "Roger that Lucas. Go on me." Alex raised his silenced MK-11 and took aim at a blonde kid with a vest full of grenades and ammunition for his rifle. He steadied his breath and pulled the trigger, and Lucas quickly followed suit. The two teens dropped dead instantly. "We're clear. Let's move." Lucas said to the team, before getting back on the radio. "Jack, we have heavily armed hostiles in here. Not sure how many, but this looks to be big." "Roger that Lucas. Stay sharp." "You too brother."

"Get away from the door." "Jimmy?" "Do it Mouth!" The group slowly shuffled away from the door to the back of the room. "Oh Jimmy what'd you do..." Jimmy gestured the gun for Mouth to keep moving before pointing it at Skills. "Get moving Skills." "Or what? You're gonna shoot me? We used to be friends dog!" "Yeah. Used to be." "So it's like that? Alright then." "Jimmy, you can't do this." Mouth said. "It's a little late for that Mouth." Marcus spoke up, "Look man, just let us go. I'm sorry I called you fat ass." "Yeah, it's a little late for that too." Jimmy pointed the gun at Nathan. "How about you hero? Your brother wouldn't be scared. You scared?" "Yeah, I'm scared." "Good! Welcome to my world." Jimmy walked around for a minute, trying to think, before grabbing some tape and coming back. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. Scott, tape a line." Nathan caught the tape that was thrown to him but stood there, unable to move. "GO ON!" Jimmy screamed. Haley clung to Nathan, and Brooke began to cry harder, asking, "Why are you doing this?" "You're Brooke Davis right? What's my name?" "Jim?" "My FULL name! Come on, who am I?" "I don't know!" "He's the guy from the time capsule." Rachel said. "You're Jimmy Edwards!" Haley said, sliding out from behind Nathan. "You're Jimmy Edwards. You're a good guy and you're better than this." "Just shut up! All of you just shut up and sit down!" Jimmy yelled. "Jimmy? Seven hostages in the tutor center? That's not you!" Haley said, her voice breaking. Her hand slipped a little bit, and Jimmy pointed at her arm. "What's in your pocket?" "Nothing! I-" "Ok, you're scaring her." Nathan said. "Stop pointing the gun at her and-" "It's just my phone, ok?" "GIVE IT TO ME! Throw it here." Haley tossed the phone as tears poured down her face. Jimmy pulled up the phone and saw 911 dialed on the screen. "Aw, Haley, I used to like you. Hi, 911, here's the thing, if anyone comes even remotely close to this school, we start shooting students. You here me? You come in here, your kids die."

Lucas swallowed hard and looked at his team as the call they had been patched into ended. "We gotta keep going." "It's gonna be ok brother." Brett said. "We're gonna get them out safe." "We are." Lucas said. "And then we're gonna kill every last motherfucker that wanted to hurt them."

"All right, nobody crosses that line." Jimmy said. "If anybody does...just don't."Or what, Jim? Would you really do that? Would you shoot us?" "Don't talk to me, Haley." "'Cause I don't think that you would." "Right." Jimmy responded sarcastically. "When's the last time we hung out? You're as bad as my best friend Mouth, who totally blew me off!" "You didn't want to do anything!" "Tell yourself that, but you changed and you know it. You became just like the rest of them." Jimmy said, waving the gun at everyone else in the classroom. "Don't do that." Rachel said, a fire in here fearful eyes. "Don't make him feel guilty for living his life. This isn't his fault. It's your fault." "No, it's your fault! You think this is what I wanted? You think I got up today and wanted this? I just wanted it to stop." Jimmy turned and looked at Skills. "This is kind of screwed up, huh, Skills?" "It's more than kind of, dog. For real." "We could charge you, you know?" Marcus interjected, as he began to slowly walk towards Jimmy. "If we all charged you at once, no way you shoot us all." "Yeah, you're probably right, but who's gonna be first?" He asked quietly, waving his gun. "Besides, even if you get past me, the others will get you." "Are there others, Jim?" Haley asked. "No, no, no." Nathan said. "I was out there. It's just you."You think so? Do you really think I'm the only one? Then ask yourself this - you ever treat someone like crap in this school or left anyone out? You ever broken up with someone in the time it takes to pass a note and disappear? Or talk trash behind their back? Maybe you just ignored it all, you know, while you worry about the big game or the prom or-or the bake sale for the pep club. You ask yourselves that, and then you tell me, is anyone else out there."

The phones Jimmy had collected had been constantly going off, and one annoying ringtone kept playing. "Whose phone is that?" He asked, exasperated. "It's mine." Marcus responded, his face suddenly white as a sheep. "It's the ringtone for my mom." "God, I hate that song." Jimmy said, before answering it. "Yeah, open your eyes. Your son's a dick! Open your eyes! Open your eyes! Open your eyes!" He screamed at the phones before throwing them at the wall. Marcus snapped, and charged forward, only to have the gun be yanked in his face. "Do you think I'm playing around?" "Whoa, whoa, just chill out." Nathan said, trying to defuse the situation. "Jimmy, please." Haley pleaded. "You're not gonna do it." Marcus said, inching his face closer to the gun that Jimmy had aimed at him. "Shut up." Skills yelled. "Don't push me." Jimmy said threateningly. "Skills, help me out here." Nathan said. "Yo, Marcus, man." Skills started before he was cut off. "Better back him up!" "Listen to him!" Nathan yelled. "He's not gonna do it!" "Marcus!" "What?!" Marcus yelled, turning, before Skills got him in the jaw, knocking him down. "That help you out?" Skills asked Jimmy. "Behind the line! Move, Skills! Get behind the line!"

Helicopters flew over the school, and Marcus, sitting on a table in the back of the classroom, made a comment. "Here comes the SWAT team. Feel those red lights on your forehead? Better duck." "Nah, it's just the reporters." Skills said. "We're all a part of this circus now." "Can I ask you a question?" Nathan said. "What do you want to happen?" "What do I want to happen? Uh, yeah, I want to crap a million dollars and a plane ticket to Bolivia." "Maybe you could just give up." Rachel said. "Oh, yeah, that's it. I'll just call a do-over." "Why not?" Mouth asked. "You didn't hurt anybody did you?...Did you shoot anyone, Jimmy?" "I don't know." "You don't have a record, Jim. You're a good student, and you're a minor." Nathan jumped in. "Yeah. Maybe this isn't as bad as you think." Marcus laughed, unbelievingly. "You're kidding, right? The guy shot up a school!" "Would you shut up, man?" Skills asked, annoyed. "You shut up. I'm not lying for him. He pointed a gun at my head and threatened to kill me. I hope they fry his ass." "What's wrong with you?" Brooke asked, speaking up for the first time through her silent tears. "He's just a kid. We're all just kids, and we just have this the things you say and do, we feel that. Marcus, you and Lucas...How can you have so much hate in your heart? How can you act like it doesn't matter? It does matter. What happened to us, huh? We're just kids. We can't be like this. It's not possible. "It's 700 days." Rachel said. "High school, out of 20,000 or 30,000. Can't you see past that? It's only 700 days." "Yeah, and how many of these days do I get back?" Jimmy asked angrily. "Do I get back the days I got spit on? Or the day I learned to look at the floor when I walked the halls? Or how about the day my dad came to pick me up and saw me getting my ass kicked on the quad and realized his son was a loser? You ever see the look in your father's eyes when he realizes that? Do I get that day back? 'Cause I saw that same look the day he left me and my mom." "That sucks, man. I'm sorry." Nathan said. "That's great. Jimmy said. "You're sorry. You can forget it! This ain't breakfast club. We're not all gonna fire up a joint and be pals. I mean, let's face it. This is the most any of us have talked in four years. And we all know if I don't have this gun, it never happens!" "People suck, okay? It's just high school, man." Marcus said. "Yeah, there's always college, right?" Jimmy asked. "MIT." Mouth said. "Remember, Jim?" "They rejected me. And you know why? Not enough activities. I guess Tree Hill Fight Club doesn't count." "One school is not the end of the world." Nathan said. "It is for me. It's the end of my world." "So what? All this because you didn't into college?" Marcus asked. "All this because you're not popular?" "No. All this because I'm tired of it."

"I'm tired, Jack." Peyton said. "Are you tired?" "Yeah, but you got to stay awake, all right? Talk to me. Tell me about a good day." "We had a snow day - sixth grade. Do you remember? It was like this whole other world just came in overnight and took ours away. And Brooke - she came over. We made a snow fort with a tunnel. And we stayed inside there all day. And it seemed so safe, like everything was okay. Like everything our world was about to become, maybe we could just stop it and stay little kids for one more day. But then it got cold...kind of like now." Jack nodded and set his rifle next to him before taking his helmet off and running his hands through his hair. "They're gonna come now." Peyton continued. "Who?" Jack asked. "All of them. The reporters and the psychologists and the analysts and the so-called experts. They're gonna try to make sense of this, but they're not gonna be able to. And even if we do make it out of here, we're always gonna carry it with us. It's never gonna be the same." She was silent for a minute before looking up into Jack's eyes. "It's not glass, is it? In my leg?" Jack sighed. "No...It's a bullet. Now, I may have to get you out of here, okay? But nothing will happen to you.  
I promise."

The bell rang, and Brooke said through her sniffles and tears, "I need to get out of here." "Yeah, me too." Marcus said. "Can we get a hall pass?" "Has it only been an hour?" Jimmy asked. "It seems like it's been longer than that." "I have current events this period." Haley said. "I think this counts." Rachel responded dryly. "Edwards, where are you supposed to be right now?" Nathan asked. "I'm supposed to be in AP English, but I stopped going." "Why?" "Well, because I missed a couple weeks about three months ago, and I couldn't catch up. "See, one day I spent a whole day in this school without a single person looking at me or talking to me, and I realized that was the best day I'd had in a long time - the day that nobody noticed me at all. The day I stopped being there - that was the best day. Well, that was kind of depressing, so I went home and took an antidepressant. And then I took another one, and then for fun I took 12 more. My mom and the doctors called it an accident. And then two weeks later when I got back to school nobody noticed. It was like I never left. I guess that's the upside of not being there in the first place, right? Nobody misses you when you're gone." Mouth began to cry. "It's not supposed to be this way. The artists and the scientists and the poets - none of them fit in at 17. You're supposed to get past it. Adults, they see kids killing kids, and they know it's a tragedy because they used to be those kids, the bullies and the beaten and the loners." Jimmy began to cry, wiping his face with his sleeve while Mouth kept talking. "You're supposed to get past it. You're supposed to live long enough to take it back...Just take it all back." There was silence for a minute before Jimmy spoke again. "You know...they're gonna remember me as a monster. I wonder how they'll remember all of you?"

Lucas motioned to Eric, who peeked the corner and then slid back. "I've got another young male, heavily armed. But this one's paying attention. No way we could get past him or black him out. We have to shoot." Lucas sighed and nodded, gesturing Brett to cover Eric. Eric leaned over and pulled the trigger twice, both bullets finding their mark. "He's down." "Keep moving...and silencers off."

Jack help Peyton close, trying to keep her calm, when he heard the library doors open and slam shut. He put his hand over her mouth and put his finger to his lips, tellign her to stay quiet, and then slowly pulled his rifle over to him. "This is about to get really loud." He whispered. "Stay down, and don't move unless I tell you too." She nodded, and he did the same, before centering himself. "Now or never." He popped up over the edge of the bookshelf to see two teens standing there with assault rifles. Jack swallowed and pulled the trigger four times, two for each man, and then sliding back down, trying to hold down the sickening feeling that had suddenly entered his stomach.

"Everybody stand up." "What are you doing Jimmy?" Mouth asked. Jimmy was looking at his phone with a pained expression on his face. "They're really here." "They?" Nathan asked. "The police sent SWAT in. They're really here. Everybody move. Out in the hall." The group fearfully walked out and stood there, before turning to face the hall leading to the tutor center. A kid was standing there with a cigarette in one hand and a AR15 in the other. He turned to look at the group with an evil smirk, but a noise caught his attention. He whipped around to aim his gun down the hall, but multiple loud gunshots drilled him in the chest, knocking him back before he could ever take a shot. The girls all screamed at the sounds of multiple guns and the guys all turned away, not wanting to watch what was coming. And then their rescuers turned a corner. It was..."Lucas?" Brooke asked. He didn't say a word, but it was clear that it was him. She looked at him and his unit, and she began to feel afraid of them. They not only looked intimidating, but the had an air of danger and power surrounding them. Jimmy wildly waved his gun, alternating between pointing it at the SEAL's and at the hostages. 'Drop the gun Jimmy." Lucas told him, his voice deadly calm. "The school is on LOCKDOWN!" "What, you think you and your little crew are going to take hostages and shoot innocent teenagers? That's not how this fucking works Jimmy!" "They told me that they cared. They know what I was going through! They are there!" "Hell Jimmy, half of them don't even go to school here! They used you Jimmy!" "I didn't mean to hurt anybody..." "WE know that Jimmy." Keith said, stepping out from a small corridor, snapping Lucas's concentration. "What the hell is this?! The school's on lockdown!" Jimmy yelled. "Please, Jimmy, just...please just let them go, and you and I can talk about this." "I didn't mean it." "I know." Keith said, before turning to Lucas. "Go on, Luke." "Not happening Keith." "Luke I love you. Now go." "My team isn't moving Keith." Keith sighed and turned to Jimmy. "Why don't you just hand me that gun, Jimmy, and we can just follow them out of here?" "I can't." "Well, I'm not gonna leave you here, son. I'm not gonna do that, and I'll tell you why. Because I've been there. I've bought the gun, and I planned on using it, okay? I've been there, and I want to tell you something. It gets better." "Not this. It can't." "It does, Jimmy. That pain in your stomach, that pain in your heart, it goes away. That voice in your head that's saying there's no way out, it's wrong, Jimmy! Would you please-please just believe me. It gets better." "It won't! Not after this! I can't take this back! I can't erase this! I just - I wanted - I wanted them to leave me alone. I just - I wanted them to like me." "I understand, son. It's what we all want. It's all any of us wants." Jimmy began to drift off mentally. "I'm not here." "Jimmy, please." Keith stepped forward and tried to get to the gun, but Jimmy waved it at him and forced him back. "Keith, you're in my line of fire." Lucas said. "Line of fire?" Keith asked, unbelieving. "That gun comes towards the hostages again and we're opening fire Keith." Keith nodded, before going back to talk to Jimmy. "It's gonna be okay." "But it hurts! It hurts. It always hurts!" Jimmy said, pounding his heart, causing Lucas to shift in his position. _"Oh Jimmy..." "_I know." Keith said. "I'm sorry." Jimmy said. Too late, Lucas realized his friend was talking to him, and that the gun was aimed towards his SEAL's. The heartbreaking expression on Jimmy's face remained as he slowly pulled the trigger. "NO!" Keith screamed, as Lucas, with his heart heavier than lead, commanded, "Open fire." The SEAL's and Jimmy shot at the same time, and the hostages watched as Jimmy fell back with multiple bullets in his dying body. Lucas turned to see Matthew Casey stumbling backwards with blood pouring from two spots in his chest. Lucas turned and slid down next to him, screaming over the radio, "Man down! We have a man down!" He was about to start CPR when Casey weakly grabbed his arm. "Lucas...forgive him." With that final statement, Casey closed his eyes and his head slumped over, the last little bit of life he had having left him.

_Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty, this hatred, how did it find us? Did it steal into our lives, or did we seek it out and embrace it?_

Lucas walked up to the hostages, who were huddled together away from the body. Brooke slowly stood up and looked at him before pulling him into a long hug filled with tears from the two of them. The other SEAL's slowly faded out of the hallway, but Lucas remained with his family, holding Brooke.

_What happened to us? That we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war Hoping for their safe return But knowing that some will be lost along the way. When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows, swallowed whole by the darkness._

_"Lucas_...You shot Jimmy. Wasn't he your friend?" Brooke asked. "He was my friend, you're right. WAS. Not anymore." Lucas looked at the dead body and felt pain and hurt stirring inside of him. "Lucas...this war, the SEAL's, it's changed you. You're not the same guy anymore." "No Brooke...I'm not." Lucas stood there for a second, trying to feel sad that Jimmy was dead, but he couldn't force himself to feel that. All he felt was pain for his teammate Casey. _"Fucker got what he deserved for doing this shit. Fuck him."_ Lucas thought as he looked at the body of Jimmy. And with that, he turned around walked down the hallway and out of the door to the quad.

_Does this darkness have a name? _

_...Is it your name?_


	27. Chapter 25

February 27th, 2015

Lucas woke up alone in his bed at his normal time, around 4 in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and began to rep out pushups and situps while trying to quiet the echoes of the school shooting that had played in his head all through the night. As he went up and down throughout his pushups, the entire scenario replayed through his mind. He heard Jimmy's words, saw the frightened expression on his face, and felt his finger pull the trigger. And as he mechanically repped out pushups like he had in BUD/S, he couldn't force the image of Jimmy falling out of his mind. Nor could he force out the anger that he felt in his heart towards his former friend.

Lucas sat on the table near the river court watching the sun come up. The river court was one place where he had always managed to find peace, even in the darkest of times. As he sat and wondered how to fix everything that had gone wrong in his life, he heard footsteps and turned to see Haley, all bundled up, walking up behind. "Hey you." She said smiling. "Hales. What're you doing out this early in the morning?" "I needed a walk. What about you?" "I needed a walk. Or run I guess." He said smiling. She came and sat next to them, and the two looked out over the river together. "That must be so cold to be in." "It is. When I was at BUD/S, they had this thing they did called surf torture. They did it all the time, but especially during hell week. You'd lay in the surf of the Pacific Ocean for hours getting pounded by waves. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced. Until Red Wings. And then Love Story. And then the school shooting." "Oh Lucas..." Haley said, putting her head on his shoulder and pulling him close. "I'm thinking of taking off for a little while. They need an advance force for Team 6 to head back over there a few months pre deployment. I think it's for the best." Haley looked away to fight back the sudden tears in her eyes. "Lucas...please stop running. C'mon, you gotta let go of this dark weight you've been carrying." "I can't Haley. I just can't. Not after all I've done. Not after all I've been through." "You know that romantic notion That all the garbage and the pain Is actually really healing and beautiful And sort of poetic? It's not. It's just garbage, and it's pain. You know what's better? Love. The day that you start thinking that love is overrated Is the day that you are wrong. The only thing wrong With love and faith and belief Is not having it." Lucas nodded and pulled Haley closer.

Later that day, the family and friends of Lucas Scott all gathered for a family dinner. Laughing and conversation ensued, but in a subdued tone. _"Nothing has been the same since the shooting. Nothing has been the same since getting back from the deployment. Hell, nothing has been the same since I told them I was leaving."_ "Lucas?" Brooke interrupted. "Hm?" "I asked if you had any plans this weekend." "Actually...yes, I might. You all might. The SEAL's have a ball for the operators, their families, and their friends. Does that interest y'all?" Brooke shot up with a smile and a squeal. "A BALL?! OH MY GOD LUCAS SCOTT ARE YOU ASKING ME TO A BALL?!" Lucas and the rest of the table laughed. "Yes Brooke. I'm asking you to a ball." "YES YES YES OH MY GOD!" She ran up to him and wrapped herself around him.

Hours later, Brooke, in a black formal dress that came down to the ground, walked in arm in arm with Lucas, who was in his Service Dress Blues. Nathan, Haley, Rachel, Mouth, Peyton, and Skills all walked in behind the pair. The ballroom at Fort Marshall was dressed in gold decorations. _"It's grand."_ Brooke thought with a smile. She kissed Lucas on the cheek and looked around. "You know...the SEAL's aren't quite what I expected." She said to him. "What did you expect babe?" "Wellllll..." Brooke looked around again. She had thought Lucas with his thick stubble had been the exception. Most of the SEAL's had beards, and those who didn't had thick stubble like Lucas. While about half had there hair cut in a shorter military buzz, many had long hair. "You and your team aren't exactly...uniform." "Very true Brooke Davis. However, our uni's are spot on, are they not?" "Your uniforms areeeeee pretty good." She said, giving Lucas another kiss. The team had many talented musicians, and as several band groupings rotated, Lucas heard a slow song come on. He pulled Brooke onto the dance floor and slowly danced with her. "Are you happy Brooke? Like really happy?" He asked her as they slowly turned. She looked down at her feet and then back up at him, biting her lip. "Yes Lucas. I am really really happy." He kissed her forehead and then pulled her close. "I'm sorry for how distant I've been. I really am. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through and-" He was cut off by a kiss from Brooke. "Don't be sorry baby. I wouldn't trade any of this for anything."

Eric pulled Elsa onto the dance floor and kissed her forehead. "You ok baby?" "I am." She said, smiling as she ran her hand over his thick stubble. "I just keep thinking how happy I am to have you home." "I'm happy to be home to baby. So happy." He pulled her into a long kiss and then held her close as they swayed back and forth. "Do you know when you leave again?" There was silence for a moment before he answered her. "JOC want an ops team on the ground by next week. General Holden, the army guy who heads up JOC hear at Fort Marshall, is going to talk to some of us tonight." "And you're on the short list?" "That's right." "I'm not ready for you to go yet." "Me neither babe. Me neither."

Alex walked in with Tori on his arm. "So do you always like being fashionably late?" He asked with a smile. She nudged him in the side as the two shared a quiet laugh. They walked through, greeting various soldiers and their families, until they got to the displays on the edge of the ballroom floor. All around, there were pictures of the team, both during operations and just living life inside the wire, that had been taken by professional photographers and press. "Is that one you?" She asked, pointing to a photo of a man in full tactical loadout turning away from a massive explosion (A/N: The cover of the new movie 13 Hours is the image that I'm using). "The press wanted to follow around Navy SEAL's. It was ok'd form the top, so we had to let them. Pretty much every mission we went on, we were getting engaged in violent firefights, but we tried to tone it down since they were civilians. We went to clear this village and check for some Tali big wig, but didn't see anything. Anyways, while we were there, someone radioed the Haji's and called in fire support from the artillery they had up in the mountains. One of the photographers caught that picture of me while we were trying to escape the fire." "Are they being sold?" "Yeah, but not here. They're gonna pitch em in some museum in New York and send the proceeds to the families of all the men who died this deployment." "That's good of them." "It really is." Alex said,, pulling Tori close to kiss her forehead.

Troy walked in and ran into Brett. "Taylor not here tonight?" "Nah. She had some major interview with Kelly Ripa or someone like that. I told her to go to that instead. I didn't want press following her to this. Especially not tonight." "Understandable." "What about Gabriella? Where's she?" "She didn't come. I was up here for some mountain warfare training op over near Lucas's hunting camp in North Carolina. I told her to not worry about coming and that I'd see her this weekend." Matt walked over to the pair with beers for the three of them. "Well look at you two being responsible for once." He said with a laugh. The two men just laughed and took the beers before raising their glasses. "Brothers." Troy said. "Brothers." They all repeated.

Lucas and his friends all danced around with one another in the middle of the dance floor, all of them laughing and having a good time. Peyton, Lucas, and Brooke were twirling around hand in hand before a hand touched Peytons shoulder. She turned and immediately forgot how to speak. A tall muscular man with short black hair and stubble smiled at her and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" He asked in a deep voice. Peyton, still speechless, nodded and smiled as she was pulled away towards the center of the dance floor. "Who are you?" She finally managed to get out, before mentally kicking herself for saying something that blunt. The man, however, only chuckled, before responding, "Master Chief Petty Officer Brant Daugherty, at your service. You?" "Peyton Sawyer." She replied with a smile. "Peyton...that's a beautiful name." He said with a smile. Peyton blushed and turned her head away as they spun around.

Brooke looked at the Peyton and the man as they danced around. "I haven't seen her smile that big in years. Who is he?" "Master Chief Petty Officer Brant Daugherty. Twenty five years old, just finished his seventh deployment with Team 6." Lucas looked over at them again and painfully smiled. "He was with me at the start of my deployment with the Army Rangers. Saved my life several times. He's a great soldier and an even better man...Peyton deserves someone like that." "I couldn't agree more. And youuuuuu..." She said, pulling him closer amd biting her lip, "deserve someone like me." She finished, before kissing him hard. "Cocky much?" He asked with a grin. "Maybe just a little bit?" She replied with a smile before kissing him again. Lucas pulled her closer and Brooke laid her head on his shoulder. "What is it Luke?" Lucas shook his head as the song ended. "It's nothing Brooke. Don't worry about it." After the clapping resided, General Michael Holden stood up on the stage. "I'm sorry families, but if y'all would give me a minute, I need all members of Team 6 for a minute." Lucas gave Brookes shoulders a squeeze and headed off with the rest of the team.

(A/N: Listen to "Broken Voices" by Ari Hest. It sets the mood)

"Men, I hate to bring this up now of all times, but JOC needs the team ready now. I tried to persuade them to give you more time, but they need that team. Men, I need to know who's going. And I'm sorry, but I need to know now." "I'll go." Lucas turned to see Master Chief Petty Officer Brant Daugherty raise his hand and step up. "Me too." Lucas turned to the other side and saw Eric Barrett step up. "You're not leaving without us." Alex Martin said, stepping up with Brett Stevens, Matt Clayton, Stephen Amell, and Troy Bolton. "Ain't no deployment happened in the past few years without my country ass." Wade Kinsella said. "My wife's gonna understand." Tome Welling said quietly. The Jonas Brothers and the Martin twins all stepped up without saying a word. Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell all stepped up. "None of us have anything here but each other." James said. "We're in." "I haven't give the tali enough hell yet." Jacob Black said. "I'm in." The room went quiet. "That's nineteen." General Holden said. "I need one more." Lucas felt his gut wrench and stepped out of the crowd.

"I'll go."

Lucas turned to see Jack run his hands through his hair and step up. "Kim will understand. This is something I need to do." "Alright, we have our team." General Holden said. "I'll let JSOC know. You deploy the day after tomorrow. Dismissed." Lucas and the rest of the team walked out of the room and back into the ballroom, where they found their dates and families looking, searching for answers on the faces of their loved ones. Without any words being spoken, the families knew. The team, at least some of them, were redeploying.

Lucas walked back over to Brooke and held her tightly in his arms as they slowly swayed back and forth. "When do you leave Lucas?" She asked after a minute of silence. "I...don't. I'm not going...Jack took my place." "You're not redeploying?" "Not yet. I promised I'd wait till after graduation pretty girl. I'm not going back on my word." Brooke kissed him and laid her head on his shoulder, before going silent for a few minutes. "You want to go...don't you?" She asked, breaking the silence. "Don't ask pretty girl. It's not something that you can understand." "How do you know?" "Trust me. You can't understand why I want to back. They're my brothers. It's hard to watch them leave, to watch them go into the fire without me. I don't love the fighting or the heartbreak that ensues. But I love all of them, and watching them leave without me to go back into the fire burns a hole in my heart." Brooke nodded, understanding where Lucas was coming from. She kissed him and slowly continued to sway in his arms.

Lucas felt a tap on his shoulder a few minutes later and turned to find Alex Martin standing behind him. "Lucas, can I have a word?" "Yessir." Lucas kissed Brookes forehead and walked outside, onto a terrace, and leaned next to Alex on the bannister. "You wanna be going back out with us, don't you Lucas?" "Yessir." "Lucas, drop the yessir bullshit. It's just us." "Then yeah, brother, I wanna fucking go back out. Don't get me wrong, I love Brooke, my friends, my family, and I'm not especially eager to go back into combat, but I don't want to leave you guys. I don't want you guys to leave me." "Lucas, trust me when I say that you wanna be here. You know the one thing that I regret? All of the times that I missed with Tori. All of the times that I didn't have with her at the end of high school. All of the times I missed with my friends and family during the last months that I should have had with them. You sacrificed your senior year Lucas. Don't let your family and friends sacrifice their last times with you like this Lucas. Don't be in such a rush to grow up Lucas. We'll all be there when it's your time to come back out brother." "And what if you're not brother? What if...what if there's another Red Wings? What if there's another Love Story? What if there's another bad op? We don't know how this deployment is going to go. If something happened...I could never forgive myself." Alex put his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "I used to feel like that too Lucas. Hell, I still do sometimes. That feeling of guilt for living your life outside of the SEAL's. The feeling of responsibility for everything that goes wrong out there. The feeling that if you were there things would be different. Let it go Lucas! Live your life man! The deployments are long enough and come often enough. We can't take for granted the time that we're given with those that we love." Alex patted Lucas's shoulder and walked off, but turned back before he walked off of the terrace. "We'll see you at graduation Lucas. Save your brothers some seats." "Hey Alex?" "Yeah brother?" "You be safe out there. I'm not gonna be there to save your ass this time around." "Roger that." Alex responded, laughing as he walked off.

Lucas walked back in to the ballroom with a heavy weight pulling on his heart._ "I love Brooke and my family. I love my friends. I love Tree Hill. I love all of this so much. So why is it so hard to stay?"_ As Lucas saw his team, his brothers, walk around to break the news to their families and friends, he knew why. _"I just can't be separated from them. They're too important to me to be left behind." "Then I guess you've made your decision then, haven't you Lucas?"_ The voice on his other shoulder said.

_"I guess I have."_

"Alex." Lucas said, catching up with Haley's older cousin. "What is it Lucas?" "I'm gonna be on that flight to Afghanistan Alex. You're my CO. Just thought that you should know." "Lucas." "Yeah Alex?" "For what it's worth, you're a good soldier. But I think you're making a mistake." "I know Alex. But for what it's worth, I don't think I am. I'll see you on the plane."

Later that night, back in Tree Hill, Quinn picked up her phone to hear the voice of her cousin Lt. Commander Alex Martin (A/N Alex Martin is Alex O'Loughlin, Eric Barrett is Chris Hemsworth, and Brett Stevens is Liam Hemsworth, in case you've forgotten). "Two months," She said. "That must be a record of how long it's been in between our talks cuz." "I'm sorry Quinn." She smiled. "It's ok. So are you gonna go back down to see Tori or are you gonna swing by here to see your family?" Quinn heard her cousin sigh and she knew he was turning his head away from the phone like he did when he did something that he knew she wouldn't like. "Alex?" "I'm not...I'm not coming back. We're redeploying. The day after tomorrow." Quinn felt tears and her throat close up. "You're leaving?" "I'm sorry Quinn. Duty calls." "But I need you here Alex. Me, Haley, Tori, all of us. We all need you." "I'm sorry cuz. Duty calls." "You're a Lieutenant Commander. With as many combat deployments as you have, you should be rotated back to the states for good. Yet you keep going back out. Why?" "For my brothers Quinn. They're my family." "So are we." "You know it's not that simple Quinny. You know this is what I've always wanted to do. _Why can't she just understand?"_ "But what about us? Why can't you understand how hard this is for us to keep watching you go out? I mean, are we not good enough? Do you not like being around us? _Why can't he just understand?"_ "You know it's not like that Quinny. You just don't understand-" "THEN MAKE ME UNDERSTAND ALEX! MAKE ME UNDERSTAND YOU! MAKE ME UNDERSTAND JORDAN! MAKE ME UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE LOCKED IN THIS NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF LEAVING!" Quinn felt the tears fall rain during a Tree Hill thunderstorm, and the sound of her cries tore Alex's heart in two. He hated it when his cousin Quinn cried. The two were closer than siblings, and Alex had always tried to be the older brother, the protector, that she never had. "I mean, Alex," She spoke through the tears, "you always used to be there for me. Whenever something came up that I couldn't handle on my own, you were there. You have always been my body to lean on, my heart to love, my shoulder to cry on! I couldn't have asked for a better brother! But cuz, I miss you! We used to be so close, and now? This is the first time we've talked in two months! Here me Alex. I am SO proud of you. I can't even express how proud I am of you. But as much as I love the Lieutenant Commander Alex Martin of the United States Navy SEAL's, I love Alex Martin the cousin more. And I miss him." Alex sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. "I miss you too Quinn. I know you don't believe me, but I do. I love you SO much. It's just...I love them too, you know? I just don't wanna leave them behind. It's not something anyone outside of the teams can understand. We call one another team guys for a reason. I'm just not ready to give em up Quinny.

I'm not ready to give it up."

There was near silence on the phone for a minutes, with the only sound being the heavy breathing of the two cousins. "Please come visit Alex. Just for tonight, if that's all you can do. But come see me. Please...I miss you." Alex sighed, but was already mentally packing his bags. He couldn't say no to her. "I'll see you later tonight." Quinn weakly smiled at the phone as she wiped her eyes. "Thanks cuz."

Brooke walked up behind Lucas and snaked her arm through his before kissing him on the cheek and giving him her million dollar smile. "Hey Luke." "Hey pretty girl. You enjoying yourself?" "Of course. And...,"She started as she turned and ran her hand down his tie seductively, "you might just have an even better time tonight." She finished with a wink while biting her lip. "I don't think so babe." He replied painfully. "Why's that?" Brooke asked, a hint of hurt cutting into her voice. "Because I've gotta pack." _"Oh no Lucas. Please don't do this to me..._ Why are you packing Lucas?" Lucas sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Because I'm redeploying." Brooke just stared at him, not willing to believe that it was true. "When did you find out?" She finally managed to choke out. "Just now." He pulled Brooke into a tight hug and ran his hand up and down her back to soothe her. As he did, he looked around the room to see many similar scenes taking place. _"War is a heartbreaker." _

Brookes hands brushed Lucas's coat pocket to feel a small square box. Her heart began to skip a million miles an hour in the way only a woman's could when she knew. She reached her hand inside and pulled out the box to find it just the right size. Lucas smiled and kissed her forehead. "I was gonna propose tonight before I found out I was deploying." Brooke felt her heart soar as she kissed him in response, before saying, "Then why don't you?"

Lucas knelt down on one knee as the entire ballroom turned to watch. "Henry David Thoreau once said 'Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame.' Brooke, through all that we've been through, my love for you has grown stronger with every breath. I can't imagine my life without you. No words cam express how much I love you Brooke. I want to love you unconditionally for the rest of my life. Babe, I know that it's gonna be hard, I know that I come with baggage, I know that my job is gonna make this hard and I know that you deserve so much better Brooke." Brooke felt tears pouring out of her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands. "But I cannot stand the thought of you not being in my life forever. Will you marry me pretty girl?" "YES YES YES OH MY GOD YES!" She screamed through her tears before jumping into Lucas's arms and kissing him hard on the lips.

February 28th, 2015

Quinn woke up at six to find Alex putting on his desert NWU digital camo uniform with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. "Hey." She said as she walked over and gave him a tight hug. He smiled and held her tighter. "Hey. How long have you been up?" "Just got up. What about you?" "Been up about two hours. Got in a little pt and then showered." "So...you're headed back today?" "I head back to base today. We ship out early tomorrow morning." "Be safe, ok Alex?" He nodded and pulled her tighter, kissing her forehead. "I will Quinn. You keep yourself together over here, ok?" Quinn nodded, and Alex kissed her forehead one more time, before grabbing his go bags and heading out the front door.

Alex pulled up to Lucas's house in his truck just in time to see the young SEAL walk out after receiving kisses from his mama and fiancé. After Lucas tossed his stuff in the bed and they headed off, Alex broke the silence. "You lucked out with Brooke." "I know. I'm a lucky man." "You're sure you don't wanna stay Lucas? Especially now?" "I'm sure brother. I'm a frogman, brother. A United States Navy SEAL. And right now, deployed is where I need to be." "Roger that." "We'll see one another again. And next time we do, we'll be getting married." Alex and Lucas both smiled at the thought. "You know,I remember Haley telling me about her best friend Lucas way back when and how awesome a guy he was. I never expected you would turn into an even better man." "Thanks brother." "We'll get back safe brother. The time's gonna fly."

_"...I love you Brooke. We'll be together soon, I promise. Until then, I'm gonna keep safe on my end. Send books._

_Much love,_

_Lucas"_

Brooke felt herself tear up as she read the end of the letter Lucas had left her. Karen rubbed her shoulders to comfort the young woman as she felt the tears fall. "He's going to be alright honey. I promise. I promise."


	28. Chapter 26

_(A/N: Changed the title from Parallel (Words I never Said) to Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Just felt like it more appropriately captured the story than the two song titles I was using.)_

_7 years later..._

_April 1__st__, 2022_

_Lucas has been on six combat deployments to Afghanistan since that night, bringing his total combat deployments to seven. He and Brooke married and have since found out that Brooke can't have children. Tori couldn't handle the strain of her and Alex's relationship, which resulted in their divorce. Nathan fought through a major injury after college but still managed to get back to the NBA. Brooke is fighting to maintain her relationship with her mother Victoria and deal with her model Alex Dupre. Mouth and Skills have stuck around Tree Hill. Eric Barrett and Elsa have had three children, two girls and a first born son. Brett and Taylor fought through tough relationship circumstances and ended up tying the knot. Haley and Nathan had Jamie, who is now seven years older. Quinn and Clay found one another when they moved to Tree Hill and got together. Quinn, Haley, and Alex have continued to stay close throughout all of the deployments. Troy watched his life fall apart as a result of the many deployments as his friends and family slowly left him. Jack Brewer is pushing through his marriage with Kim, but it's teetering on the edge of falling apart. Peyton has turned Red Bedroom Records into a powerhouse, and Brooke has done that one hundredfold with Clothes Over Bros. The friends and family of Lucas have all, in some way or form, seen parts or all of their lives torn apart by the war in Afghanistan. Life has changed for everyone. Everything is different._

Lucas turned over in his sleep as the C-130 transport plane carrying him and his teammates hit turbulence as they rode over the Atlantic Ocean. Lucas slowly sat up and looked over at the rest of his team, who all were trying to stay asleep despite the turbulence from the thunderstorm that was occurring outside of the plane. He shrugged off the blanket that he had covering him and walked to the front of the cargo bay and climbed the ladder that led to the cockpit. "Y'all gonna chill out with the turbulence? I'm bouncing around like one of my brothers basketballs." The pilot turned around and laughed at him. "Hey, get us tickets to a Bobcats game and we can make it better!" "Shut up man." Lucas replied, laughing. "So what's waiting for you back home Mr. SEAL?" The pilot asked him. "I don't know man. I haven't talked to Brooke in about two weeks." "Brooke?" "My wife." "Why haven't you talked to her?"

_"RPG!" Lucas screamed as his team moved down the ravine. "WE'RE IN TROUBLE MAN!" Lucas screamed at Alex. "ROGER THAT! PUSH RIGHT! I SAY AGAIN, PUSH RIGHT!" He yelled over the squad radio. Lucas moved to take cover behind another rock to his right. "TROY, GET MOVING!" "ROGER THAT ALEX!" "MATT, COVER HIM!" "YESSIR!" Rifle bullets zipped around the four man recon team as they continued to move down the ravine. "SIR, WE CAN'T HOLD OUT MUCH LONGER" Troy screamed at Alex. "ROGER THAT. I'M GETTING ON THE HORN." Alex got on the radio and called the TOC. "WHERE'S OUR EVAC?" "Sir, we are working on it. Out." "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH! I NEED AN EVAC NOW!" "We're doing our best. Out." "FUCK!" Alex screamed. "WHERE'S THE EVAC ALEX?" Lucas yelled. "THEY DON'T KNOW. WE'RE ON OUR OWN LUCAS." Lucas looked away and cursed under his breath. "We can't get out of here without that evac Alex. We're surrounded." "I know Lucas. I'm working on it." The two heard multiple hisses and turned around to find one of their own falling. "NO!"_

"Scott?" Lucas snapped out of his flashback and looked up to see the pilot. "What?" "Climb up here and look. It's home." Lucas climbed up to see the first traces of green appearing over the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Haley and Quinn, dressed in their sundresses, walked out of the hangar and onto the runway to wait for the plane carrying Lucas, their cousin Alex, and the rest of the SEAL's. Clay snaked his arm into Quinn's and kissed her forehead. "You nervous?" He asked her. She buried her head into his shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, a little bit. He comes back from every deployment a little bit different. He's always been a badass, protecting me and Hales, but he keeps changing, getting worse. I don't know, I'm just worried about how he's gonna be." "I know baby. But hey, we all know that Alex can take care of himself. And hey, he's had Lucas there to watch his back." "Who's had Lucas there to watch his back?" Brooke asked as she walked up behind the pair. "We were just talking about Alex." Clay replied. Brooke nodded sympathetically and wrapped Haley and Quinn in a tight hug as the three started to feel their eyes tear up. "Ugh, stop before you ruin our makeup." Haley told Brooke, causing the three to laugh through the tears.

Behind them, Nathan, Jamie, Skills, Mouth, Millie, Chase, Q, and Peyton all walked up in a large group. All were dressed in their Sunday best to welcome home their loved ones. Jamie rushed up to Haley and tugged on her dress. "Mama, why are you sad? Aren't you happy that Uncle Lucas is coming home?" Haley brushed the tears out of her eyes and hugged her son. "Yes honey, I'm happy that your Uncle Lucas is coming home. I'm just sad for someone else." Jamie squeezed her tighter in response before running off. Nathan walked up to her and kissed her forehead before pulling her into a hug. "You have raised such a great son." He told her. "We both did."

"This is flight Bravo Romeo 3-1. Are we cleared for landing?" "Roger that Bravo Romeo 3-1. Welcome home." "Thank you control. Bravo Romeo 3-1 out." The pilot turned around to shake Lucas's hand. "Welcome home Scott." "Thank you sir. You too." With that, Lucas turned and went back down the ladder to the cargo bay where SEAL Team 6 was gathering their gear off of the floor and strapping in to the seats in preparation for approach. As Lucas strapped in next to Alex, he heard the Lt. Commander laugh. "What is it Alex?" Alex shook his head, still laughing. "I can hear the Hawaiian version of Over the Rainbow playing in my head right now." "Are you serious?" Lucas replied, laughing. "Roger that. You ready to see Brooke?" "Yessir. What about you? You have anyone waiting on you when you get back?"

_"Dammit Tori! I don't understand what you want from me! I'm just doing my job! I mean, is that good enough? Do you want me to restart my entire life? Newsflash, I can't!" "I don't care what you do Alex! Just figure it out! I mean, it's not like you ever let me help you or anything!" Alex rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Whatever. Go do your thing. I'm done dealing with this for tonight. I need to get packed." Alex walked towards their room but felt Tori's hand grab his arm. Her voice was now lowered, deadly quiet. "Alex, understand this. I love you more than anything in this world. But if you choose to deploy tomorrow, this marriage is over."_

"Not really. I'm just going to oversee unloading and then debrief the commanders for Teams 1 and 3. Maybe get a beer after that. Then I'll hit the sack." "I'm sure Quinn and Haley would love to see you. I mean, they are family. And you know everyone else loves you. And, knowing Haley and Quinn, they're expecting you and are definitely gonna have an ambush worthy of the Taliban if you don't show up." The two men chuckled to themselves. "You're probably right Lucas. I'll unload with you then." "Roger that sir."

The C-130 landed and taxied to a stop in front of a hangar that was expunging hundreds of people waiting to see their loved ones. As the plane finally rolled to a stop, the back end of the plane lowered and young men began to walk out. Brooke and Quinn both began to push to the front of the crowd with the rest of their family and friends following as best they could, attempting to keep up with the two determined females. All of the men walked out of the plane with military backpacks and a duffel bag in each hand. Most of the regular Army soldiers bore elated smiles, but Brooke quickly identified the different desert digital camo uniforms and the more somber expressions of the members of SEAL Team 6. Among them, she saw Lucas and Alex walking next to one another. She and Quinn immediately took off running for the pair, with Brooke wrapping herself to Lucas as soon as she got close enough. The two shared a deep kiss as Lucas dropped his duffel bags and pulled her into a deep embrace. Quinn ran up and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck as Alex kissed his cousins forehead. "Hey Quinny. It's good to see you." Quinn felt the tears begin to fall down her face as she clenched him tighter. "It's so good to see you Alex. Are you ok? Everything alright?" "I'm home. That's what matters."

"Hey pretty girl." Lucas said after they finished kissing. "Hey handsome. How are you?" Lucas smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm fine. You ready to go?" "Yep. We're having a party for you two at Tric tonight. Is that ok?" Lucas nodded and pulled her close before letting her go to pick up his duffel bags. As the two picked walked out towards the cars that the family had taken to get there, Brooke looked around and noticed many more planes and similar celebrations going on at various other hangars. "How many groups came home Lucas? There's a lot of people here." "Other than Team 6, a lot of Army infantry, Army Special Forces, some Delta Force teams, Air force Pararescuemen, and some Marine MARSOC guys. It was a really big transition." "Are we pulling out?" "I don't know Brooke. That's above my pay grade."

As the entire group got to the vehicles, Brooke heard her phone ring and quickly picked it up to hear her model Alex Dupre on the other end of the line. "Brookeeeeee." Brooke clenched her teeth, seething. "What is it Alex?" "I heard there was a party at Tric tonight. Why didn't you invite me? I love parties!" Brooke, unwilling to have an argument with her husband in the vehicle, cursed her model in her mind before saying, "Fine Alex. You can go." "YAY! I can't wait!" Brooke clicked the line off and groaned. "What is it babe?" Lucas asked. "My model Alex Dupre is SUCH a pain in the ass! Like, all the time!" Lucas laughed and Alex Martin leaned forward, intrigued. "A model, you say?" Lucas gave Alex eyebrows while Brooke groaned. "Do NOT go there Alex. That slut-" "Hey now Brooke," Lucas said, giving her a look. "Be nice." Brooke rolled her eyes while Lucas sat back, smiling. _"It's really good to be home."_

Later that night, the party at Tric for the returning soldiers was in full swing. However, despite the festivities, Lt. Commander Alex Martin sat at the bar, drinking a beer, alone. As Brooke and Lucas swayed back and forth while laughing at their dance moves, or lack thereof, Brook caught sight of the SEAL officer and gestured to Lucas. "Is he ok?" Lucas shook his head and sighed. "No, he's not. The last deployment was really rough, on him especially. He takes his men's issues to heart. They weigh him down. Because of that, it's hard for him to let go." "Let go of what?" Brooke asked, while studying Lucas's face. She saw a shade of anger and hurt cross his face and disappear in an instant, but enough that she knew it was there. "Long story. You want me to go talk to him?" "I think it'd be a good idea. I have to grab another drink anyways."

"Chase, grab me another beer, would you?" "Sure Tex. One sec." "Tex?" Alex turned to the side when he heard a soft voice say his nickname, an action that almost caused his mouth to fall to the floor. A tan brunette with brown eyes was looking at him with a little smirk that instantly caught his attention. "Yes?" He managed to get out, so tongue tied that he thought he had been transported back in time to high school. "That's an interesting name." She said with a light laugh. "Where'd you get it?" "It's a nickname, not my real name. See, I was born in Alabama, but all my grandparents are from Texas. So I'd go spend every summer out there working on a ranch. My family also moved there for a time, so I fell in love with the place. Tex or Texas has been my nickname to most ever since." "Interesting..." She said, putting her hand on her chin and turning her head, as if to try and study him to pull out all of his secrets. "So do you have a real name 'Tex'?" He smiled wide and shook her hand. "Alex Martin. You?" "Alex Dupre." His smile grew a little wider when he heard her name. "It's nice to meet you Dupre. So what has you in Tree Hill? I don't recognize you." "I could say the same for you." She countered. _"Smart girl. I like that."_ He thought to himself. "Well, I hate to act like a child, but I did ask first Dupre." He said with a little smirk. She playfully groaned and threw her head up in the air. "Fineeeeeee. I'm an actor, but right now I'm working as a model for Clothes Over Bros." Alex nodded as he took a sip, before speaking, "Brooke Davis. That woman never ceases to amaze me." Alex rolled her eyes. "Ugh, more like never ceases to annoy me. She can be such a little bitch!" "Can't we all?" The SEAL responded. Alex opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it before coming up with something else. "Enough about me. What about you? Why are you here?" "Family." Alex quickly responded before turning to take another sip of his beer. "Uh huh. You know, I'm good at telling when someone is lying." Alex swiveled back around in his seat, giving her a interested look. "And what makes you think I'm lying Miss Dupre?" He asked before taking another sip of his beer. "For starters, you're obviously military. So I would assume that family means Lucas. Am I right?" Alex nodded, giving it to her. "_This gal is sharp._ I do have other family here. Actual family. But yes, you're right, I am military." "What do you do?" Alex asked as she slid in and took the seat next to him. Alex Martin, however, shook his head. "I'm not at liberty to say." "And why can't you say?" She asked, while biting her lip and winking at him. It worked for every other guy and if it were any other guy they'd be on their way her hotel room right then. But, as she was quickly coming to find out, he wasn't any other guy. "I'm just not allowed to say. It's classified." Alex Dupre rolled her eyes and gestured to Chase. "Chase, two shots." "Two shots, coming up." The shots and limes were quickly in front of the pair. Alex gave her partner a wink and grabbed a lime before speaking, "Do a shot and then tell me." Alex laughed as he picked up a shot glass off of the bar. "And why would that make me tell you?" Alex bit her lip and looked him dead in the eyes. "Well…it wouldn't…but it would give you an excuse." The SEAL quickly realized that she wasn't just talking about telling her his career and gulped down the lump in his throat. _"Oh what the hell."_ Alex took his shot and then quickly grabbed the other to do the same. "I'm a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy SEAL's." Alex looked over to see Alex Dupre's mouth drop. "You're a Navy SEAL?" She asked, somewhat starstruck. "Yes ma'am. I've been in the teams since high school." "Wow…" "It's not that big of a deal. My country called and here I am. Simple as that." Alex heard Brooke yell at her and groaned. "Ughhhhhh, she never leaves me alone!" Alex chuckled and nodded. "I know the feeling." Alex Dupre nodded and walked off before she heard him call to her, which caused her to quickly whip around. "Hey Dupre." "Yes?" "I'll see you around." He said with a wink. Alex Dupre felt her heart flutter as she turned and walked away, a crystal clear smile appearing on her face.

"What do you want Brooke? I was just getting close to him!" Brooke felt her mouth drop as she listened her model snap at her. _"Why that little..._ Listen here missy-" Lucas walked over with a beer in his hand and immediately stuck his free hand in between the two females in an attempt to separate the two. "Alright, calm down ladies." Brooke rolled here eyes before speaking again. "Listen here MISSY, we have a shoot tomorrow, so I think it would be best if you could get back and get some rest, don't you?" She finished with a fake smile that made Alex Dupre roll her eyes before protesting. "But-" "No buts! You work for me. Now get home and sleep." "Ugh. You're no fun." Alex said before storming off. There was silence for a minute before Lucas asked, "Now, was that really necessary?" "Well-" "You need to be nicer Brooke. No one likes a C.O. who won't stop yelling and talking down to those they're in charge of." "But she's just so-" "She's herself Brooke. And in case you missed, I think that we owe her one." Brooke looked at him incredulously. "And why on earth would we owe her anything?" "Did you not look over at the bar? I haven't seen Alex that happy in years! Certainly not since Tori left him. It's time that you accept that she's here for good and start treating her like it. Copy?" Brooke sighed, nodded, and then giggled a little bit before kissing Lucas on the lips. "What was that for?" "It's cute when you start speaking all military." She replied before kissing him again.

"She's something else, ain't she?' Alex asked as he downed his last beer. Chase nodded as he wiped off the bar. "That she is. Watch yourself though soldier. Heard that her love is short and packs quite the punch." "But isn't that all of us? I mean, how many of us open up and show our true selves to those around us before we get to know them as well as we know ourselves? And even then, do we ever truly open up? Or do we just continue on, putting up this facade for others to mask our true emotions and feelings?" Chase pondered that for a minute before shrugging and returning to cleaning up the bar. "Has anyone ever told you that you get philosophical when you drink?" "Roger that." Alex said, laughing as he paid and walked away from the crowd.

The air outside was cool, and there was a nip in the air that sometimes came around during the nights leading up to the summer. Alex walked out of the bar and was heading for his truck when he heard slight scuffling noises coming from the back of the parking lot, in conjunction with whispered curses. Curious, Alex approached, when he saw the model who shared his name with half of her clothes in the process of being ripped off, a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. A middle aged man was behind her, attempting to pull down her pants, when he caught sight of the SEAL. Angry, the man stood up and said "You should go back where you came from." The SEAL simply took off his jacket, exposing his huge chest and arms, one of which with the SEAL Trident tattooed on, before saying, "I don't think that's gonna happen." The man walked around from behind the model to face the SEAL. "You don't know what you're doing." Alex flexed one time, cracking his neck, before responding, "No. I don't think YOU know what you're doing." The man, infuriated, swung at the SEAL with a knife that appeared in his hand out of nowhere. Alex sidestepped, grabbed the man's arm, yanked it out of the shoulder socket, and knocked the knife to the ground before flipping the man onto his back, knocking the wind out of him.

By this time, Alex Dupre's screams had been heard by those inside the bar, and a full crowd had gathered in time to see Alex disarm the potential rapist. Lucas rushed out of the crowd to grab Alex and pull him back from the man, in fear that Alex might kill him. "Easy sir, easy now. He's done." "I'm good Luke, I'm good. You can let go. I'm good." Q walked out of the crowd and looked at the man in mute horror, rubbing his hand over the bullet exit wound in his chest. "What is it Q?" Lucas asked, rushing over to the young man, who looked like he had seen a ghost. "That's him...that's the guy who shot me that night."

Alex rushed over to the young model, who was shaking. He grabbed his jacket and pulled it over her, trying to cover her and calm her down. "Shhhhhh, shhhhhh. It's alright. It's over now. Shhhhh." Alex hesitantly pulled her into a hug, trying to calm her. "It's gonna be alright, I promise. It's all over now." The girl cried into his shoulder, clutching onto him for a feeling of comfort and safety. "Hey, it's gonna be ok. I'm gonna get you home now, ok?" "NO!" She yelled, startling Alex, who gave her a confused look. "Please...I don't feel safe. Can I please go home with you? Please?..." Alex inwardly grimaced, knowing that he couldn't say no. "Quinn will understand. Alright, you can come with me. I'm staying with Quinn, but you can have my bed for the night. At least until we can get you back on your feet." Alex sniffled and nodded her head. "Thank you Alex." "My pleasure. Now, let's get you out of here." Alex picked her up bridal style and carried her to the front seat of his truck before hopping in and driving to Quinn's house.

"So he's bringing Alex home, huh?" Clay asked as he and Quinn made the bed in Alex's room. "Yes. I said he could, I mean, after all, after what she went through-" Clay held up his hands and nodded. "No need to explain." After they finished making the bed, Quinn came over and kissed her boyfriend. "Thank you. Thank you for saving this room for Alex when he's not on deployment. It means a lot. To him and to me." "It's my pleasure."

A short while later, Alex had put down Alex Dupre and walked into the living room, where Quinn and Clay were sitting on the couch, a blanket covering them, as they sipped hot chocolate and watched CNN. Curious, Alex turned to see a massive fireball emanating from s public transit station somewhere in London, with the headline reading, "Deadly Terrorist Attack in London Kills Over 100." Alex shook his head and muttered a curse under his breath. "Why do they do this Alex?" Quinn asked him suddenly. He turned to her and shook his head. "I don't know Quinny. I just know that it's my job to stop stuff like this." The SEAL ran his hands through his short hair before hearing his cell phone go off. He quickly picked it up and spoke, "Go for Martin." It was General Holden on the other line. "What do you know about the Cleric in Pakistan?" Alex ran his hands over his face, trying to think through the depths of his mind. "Not a whole lot to know. Kind of like Osama way back when. Hard to find, not a whole lot to know about him. Intel suggests that he might have some connection to banking in Dubai. And we know he's got a compound somewhere in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Why?" "Intel said that they've got stuff lighting up all over the globe connecting The Cleric and his organization with the bombing. P.E.T.N. is popping up in the conversations too. Also, does the name Sad Al-Din mean anything to you?" "Negative." "I figured as much. I have to go, but I'll update you when I can." "Do I need to get my go bag ready sir? I can be at the base in 2." "Negative. Enjoy your break soldier. You've earned it." "Roger that sir. Commander Martin out." Alex sighed and leaned his head on his arm, which was resting against the wall. "What is it Alex?" Quinn asked, a concerned tone in her voice as she came over to hug him. "It was P.E.T.N. And the bombing was orchestrated by The Cleric. My team was working on both before we were pulled out of country." "This isn't your fault Alex. You couldn't have known." Alex sighed and shook his head. "It's my job to know, so that way things like this don't happen." He shook his head one more time and walked off to his room. "That last deployment did a number on him." Clay commented. Quinn leaned her head on his shoulder and nodded. "I try to help him, but it's hard. He's so different from what he used to be. I don't know how to reach him anymore." "Has he considered giving it up?" "Not even close. He thinks he's immortal." Clay kissed her head and pulled her in tighter. "He knows what he's doing babe." He whispered in her ear. She nodded, tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.

Alex looked out of his window towards the beach as he talked on the phone, doing his best to remain quiet, as not to wake the sleeping Alex. "Command thinks that The Cleric ordered it." "Did he?" The voice on the other end of the line, Brett Stevens, asked. "I don't know. I'll make some calls, see what I can figure out. I've got one CIA asset that's in deep on my list. I'll see if he knows what's going on. If you got any contacts or assets on a leash, try and reach out to them." "Roger that. Hey, how are you doing?" Alex sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm hanging in there. You?" "About the same. I'm gonna give Jack a call tomorrow." "Good idea. I'm going to try and talk to everyone in the team to try and make sure we're all squared away. I'm also going to brief Lucas and Eric tomorrow over lunch." "Don't burn yourself out too quick commander. We just got back on American soil." "You got it Brett. Keep it easy over there with Taylor." "Hooyah to that sir. Stevens out." The call ended and left the Lieutenant Commander feeling even more conflicted than before. "Why is it that you can't let go once you leave?" Alex turned to see Alex Dupre sitting up in bed. "I'm a C.O. It's my job to not let go. Taking my mind off of the overall mission, even when we're back home, could cost the lives of my men." "It sounds lonely." "It is. My ex-wife can attest to that." Alex stood up and walked over to the SEAL and pulled him close to her. "Maybe, just for tonight," she said, biting her lip, "You should let yourself not be lonely." She slowly leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. Alex recoiled on instinct, but felt Himself be pulled in by the model he had just met that night. After breaking for air, he lifted her chin with his hand and looked her in the eyes. "We don't have to do this. You don't have to do this if-" His voice was cut off by Alex Dupre putting her finger over his lips. "It's ok Alex. I want to do this. Do you?" Alex looked at her deeply. She was beautiful, but anyone could see that. To him, it was clear that her beauty extended much deeper than her looks. Her laugh and her soft smile had already wedged their way into his battle hardened heart. Taking a deep breath, Alex swallowed and softly kissed her. "I do."

Lucas softly kissed Brooke on the lips before she started giggling, causing him to step back to look at her with a smile. "What is it Brooke?" She bit her lip, trying to hold in her laughter, but quickly found herself in a fit of hysterics, laughing till she was in tears. Lucas joined her, and the two held one another as they laughed themselves to the bedroom and onto the bed, barely able to breathe. Eventually after the laughter subsided, Lucas rolled over to look at Brooke, and asked, "Why'd you start laughing?" "I don't know. I was trying to be all seductive since it was your first night back, but...you just make me so happy, I just started laughing. Because I was happy...I haven't laughed like that in a long time." Lucas pulled her in closer to him and kissed her forehead as she put her head on his shoulder. "Me neither pretty girl. It's been forever since I've laughed like that." The two stayed in that position for hours, just loving one another, before Lucas's phone rang. Brooke looked over at the clock and saw that it was well past one in the morning. "Who could be calling at this hour?" She asked. Lucas shrugged, trying to push off the drowsy feeling that was invading his body. "I don't know. Someone from the teams probably. I'll make it quick." He pressed the green button and answered, "Go for Scott." Lucas heard Troy on the other end of the line. "The funeral date is set for the 3rd. They got him a spot at Arlington." "Roger that. You want the team to link up before?" "Negative. Alex said that wouldn't be necessary when we talked about it, before we left Afghanistan. I'll see you there brother." "Roger that. Stay strong brother." Lucas clicked the button and sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Brooke sat up and rubbed his back soothingly. "What's wrong Lucas?" "They set the funeral date for the day after tomorrow." "Funeral?" Brooke asked. "Who's funeral?" "Matt." "Oh my god...No, not Matt. Not Elizabeth..." Lucas felt his throat tighten. "Yup." He choked out. "Baby, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?" Lucas shook his head before burying his head in her shoulder to hide the silent tears._ "Oh Lucas..."_


	29. Chapter 27

April 3rd, 2022

There was dead silence among those in attendance to Senior Chief Petty Officer Matt Clayton's funeral in Arlington Cemetery. It had been a rough week for the SEAL's who had returned home. This same cemetery was where Mikey, Danny, Axe, Kelly Severide, and now Matt rested for the final time. As the SEAL's all relived their fondest memories of their brothers they found themselves smiling, but as they remembered the final moments of their fallen brethren, they felt their smiles drop and felt hot tears threaten to cascade down their cheeks. The many members of SEAL Team 6, dressed in their service dress blues, stood at attention as the body of Senior Chief Petty Officer Mathew Clayton was carried in within a flag covered chestnut coffin. Lucas carried the front of the coffin with Alex Martin holding the other side. Brett Stevens and Eric Barrett both held a side, and they were followed by Troy Bolton and Jack Brewer. The procession holding the coffin marched forward in perfect harmony, shoes softly clicking with each step as the men walked up to the grave and slowly set the casket down.

The men turned sharply to face the coffin and proceeded to slowly fold the flag. Brooke sniffled and fought to hold back her tears as she laid her hand on Elizabeth's leg. Matt's wife nodded before placing her hand in Brookes. The two looked as the flag was folded by one pair after another, until finally, Lucas tucked the last corner in and presented it to Alex before saluting the flag. Alex nodded, did an about face, and presented the flag to Commander Mack Montana before he himself saluted the flag. Mack turned and walked over to Erin and kneeled down on one knee, presenting her the flag. "On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Navy, the Navy Special Warfare community, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service, and his final sacrifice for the men that he loved." Elizabeth nodded, tears falling down her cheeks, as she held the flag and ran her hand over the stars, before pulling it close to her chest. The young widow held the flag tightly, gripping the last thing that her fiancé would ever give her. Lucas and the honor guard turned and walked back to the end of the line of SEAL's standing behind Elizabeth. As he passed Brooke, he turned his head, trying to hide the tears pouring down his cheeks. Despite the outer toughness forged into them by years of grueling training, SEAL's weren't heartless mindless robots. The pain of a brother leaving them forever brought many to their knees. Especially one as respected and loved as loved as Matt. The memories of a smiling mentor with a great sense of humor and an even greater heart for his men played back in Lucas's head as he watched the man's wife stand to speak. Elizabeth, steadied by Brooke, stood and opened a letter. She blinked once, squeezed Brooke, and then began to speak. "Real life super heroes exist; they walk among us every day, ready to defend our great nation and its citizens in a moment's notice. They are husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons capable of staring death in the face, and still come home to rock their newborn infant to sleep in the same day. This kind of warrior cannot be manufactured of purchased. They are born into this life, blessed with a higher sense of purpose, and the understanding of what exactly their fate may hold. We choose to share this life with them, because we would rather love an extraordinary man for a brief moment, than spend a lifetime with a man far more ordinary. You can never be prepared for certain events in life, they change you, and their consequences turn your world upside down. Meeting your husband's casket as he makes his final journey home. The prospect of raising your children alone. Living the rest of your days without the one person that loved you unconditionally and never let you down. In truth, these men never let anyone down, which is why they are no longer here today. These amazing warriors chose to spend their brief but amazing lives with us. We raise their children. We honor and remember them, we live in the present, and we look to the future. They knew we would have the strength to carry on in the face of tragedy, and to become stronger, more amazing versions of ourselves. They knew we would never be defined by their passing, but inspired by their memory to live more fully and to make each moment we are given count."

Elizabeth finished her speech with a tight smile as tears poured down her face, her voice finally giving out as she stifled back the sobs that threatened to overtake her as she ran her hands over her husband's casket one last time. She returned to her seat and sat rigidly at attention. Brooke, however, couldn't hold back her sobs. She lowered her head to the ground and bit her lip in a vain attempt to hide her cries from the rest of those in attendance. She looked to her right at Elizabeth for strength, but instead found only sorrow. Because sitting in between her and Elizabeth, with a saddened expression, was Matt's seven year old daughter Isabella.

Alex, leading his men, was the first to walk up to the casket, unpin his trident, push it into the casket, and slam his fist into the trident to set it in the wood, before stepping back to salute his fallen brother one final time. _"I'm sorry I couldn't save you brother. I'm so fucking sorry brother. I'm so sorry..."_ Alex lowered his salute, about faced, and walked back to the lines of operators standing at attention behind Elizabeth. He stood rigidly, but like every single person in attendance, tears were streaming down his face uncontrollably.

Troy walked up next and repeated the same process as Alex. As he slammed his trident into the wood, he collapsed onto the coffin, wrapping his arms around it, weeping for his fallen brother and best friend. _"Matty, I love you so much buddy. I love you so fucking much. You were there when Gabby left me man. You were there when all of my lifelong friends turned their back on me. You have always been there for me, ever since BUD/S. HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO GO ON WITHOUT YOU BROTHER?! THAT SHOULD HAVE FUCKING BEEN ME ON THAT MOUNTAIN! ISABELLE DOESN'T HAVE A FATHER ANYMORE! ELIZABETH DOESN'T HAVE A HUSBAND ANYMORE! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING LEAVE US?!"_ Troy felt a hand on his arm through the sobs, and when he looked up, he saw Jack Brewer. "C'mon brother. Stand the fuck up brother. You can do this." Troy nodded and slowly stood up before embracing his friend. "Thanks brother." "Anytime brother. Anytime."

Every Navy SEAL operator repeated the same process as Alex, as was customary with every SEAL that was killed. Every single SEAL had a similar experience as Alex, walking up to the coffin in an attempt to be strong and walking away with tears streaming down their faces and their hearts broken into even more pieces than before. Every single SEAL had buried friend after friend after friend, but it never got easier for any of them. Especially not when it was someone as loved and respected as Matt.

Lucas was the last one to pay his respects, and after he walked back to stand at attention, amazing grace was played on the bagpipes, taps were played with the lone bugle, and the sombering and emotional funeral was finally over. Lucas, however, didn't walk off with his teammates. He instead walked up to the casket and stood next to it, running his hand over the coffin and the many tridents of SEAL Team 6 members that were permanently entrenched in the polished wood. _"Thank you so much for everything you've done for me Matty. You have been such an influence on my career and my life. You were an inspiration to me, an example of the best NCO a man could be. I love you brother, and I'm gonna miss you like hell. Knock em dead wherever you are Matty. I love you brother. I'll see you soon."_

Lucas felt fresh tears, and as they began to run down, he felt a soft hand slip into his. He looked down to his left and saw his wife smiling at him with a sad look on her face. "Have I ever told you how proud I am of you?" Lucas nodded, unable to speak. "This was the saddest day I've had since we buried Michael, just like this. But it reminded me just how proud I am of you and how much I love you. Your dedication, your passion, your heart, your love for everyone, the way you put everyone else and their needs above your own...Lucas, you are truly one of the greatest men I have ever known. I am so lucky to have you as my husband. I love you so much baby. I don't tell you that enough, but I love you so very much Lucas Alexander Scott. So very much. And I am so proud of you." She kissed him on the cheek and then pulled his head into her shoulder as he began to sob. "It's all gonna be ok baby. It's all gonna be ok."

Alex stood near the road that was a little ways from the grave, shaking hands with his teammates and Matt's family members, and hugging many of those that still had tears. As he was doing so, he caught sight of a tall brunette with a tight black dress and heels. He nodded t a few people who hadn't introduced themselves and walked over to Alex Dupre. The woman wasted no time in wrapping him in a tight comforting embrace. "Are you ok?" She whispered in his ear as they held one another. Alex, to choked up to say anything, simply shook his head. She held him even tighter and kissed his cheek before burying his head in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Alex. Know I would do anything to help you take the pain away." Alex simply nodded, still unable to speak. _"Thank you Alex. You have no idea what it means to me that you're here right now. You have no idea. You're exactly what I needed when I got back. Thank you Alex. Thank you..."_

Troy walked up to Matt's family, whom he had met when the pair graduated BUD/S together. They had since become his second family, there for him when his own family hadn't been. Seeing them sent a fresh surge of guilt surging through his veins, but he knew that he couldn't avoid them forever. He slowly forced himself to go all the way to them and lay his hand on Matt's mothers shoulders. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Clayton. I'm so sorry..." The woman looked up at him and smiled. "You've always been a sweetheart Troy. Thank you." Troy looked over and saw Julianne Hough, a cousin of Matt's who Troy had always somewhat had a crush on. She gave him a soft pained smile and wrapped him in a tight hug. Seeing the two loving women caused Troy to hang his head in shame. "It should have been me." Troy said quietly. Julianne shook her head and spoke, "You can't do that to yourself. You can't do that." "You don't understand Jules...it really should have been me..."

_Lucas and Alex turned to see Troy fall to the ground, a bullet in his chest. "FUCKKKKKKKKK!" Troy screamed as he pulled his rifle back up, taking down two more Taliban. "THE COVER IS BREAKING UP ALEX!" Lucas screamed at his best friend and commanding officer. Alex took one look at the house they were taking cover inside and nodded as the mud walls were blasted to hell from RPG's and small arms fire. "ROGER THAT! TAKE COVER BEHIND THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE HOUSE! MATT, GET TROY! I'LL COVER." "Roger that." The SEAL's all responded. The SEAL's all quickly moved outside and hugged the wall, stepping out only to shoot and gaze up the mountain that Taliban warriors were streaming down. Troy tried to stand up to keep shooting, but his chest was in bad shape, with multiple gunshot wounds bleeding profusely. As Matt helped him to his feet, an RPG exploded, taking out part of the wall the pair had been using for cover. Shrapnel cut through the two men as they scrambled to get to cover. Alex patted Lucas on the shoulder to signal him to continue firing before looking over at his men. Troy was wheezing, barely able to breathe, blood coming out of his mouth with every breath. While he was still fighting, he could barely stand and certainly couldn't walk. "MATT! GET ON THE RADIO AND GET US A MEDEVAC'" "YESSIR, ROGER THAT." Matt got on the radio and began to beg for air support, MEDEVAC, additional operators, anything that he could get to help the four trapped on the mountain. But at long last, he screamed at the phone, slammed it down, looked at Alex, and shook his head. "Comms are down sir. I can't get through." Just as he finished his statement, two bullets hit his flew through his chest, sending him to the ground. Lucas screamed at Alex to take up his firing position and ran over to help the two wounded SEAL's. Troy and Matt both kept their rifles up, trying to take down any enemy fighters they could find, but both were in bad shape. Lucas rushed over and went to Matt first, but he shook his head. "Negative Luke. I'm fine. Take care of Troy." Lucas nodded and slid over to Troy. Lucas stayed crouched as rounds cracked overhead. Troy grabbed Lucas's arm and whispered, "Just get me back in the fight." "Roger that Troy." Lucas began to wrap Troy's wounds up, but it wasn't looking good._

_Lucas's head snapped up when he heard someone scream, "FUCKKKKKKKKK!" He saw Alex grab his shoulder and saw blood begin to seep through his shirt. _"Fuck me. This is all going to fucking hell."_ Lucas thought as he rushed to Alex, who pushed him off. "I'M ALL GOOD LUCAS. TAKE CARE OF BOLTON. CLAYTON, CALL MAVERICK! GET US SOME FUCKING MEN UP HERE STAT!" "ROGER THAT!" Matt replied. He went on his radio and tried to call, but again, he got no signal. He screamed in frustration, but this time, he began to look behind the hut they were taking cover behind and at the cliff face on the edge of the mountain. It had a clear line of sight to Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell _(Tom Cruise Top Gun)_ and whichever other SEAL's were running comms down in the valley. "Hey SEAL's." He said, getting all of their attention. "Never out of the fight." And with that, he stood up and took off for the cliff face._

Julianne, Matt's mother, and the rest of the Clayton family looked at Troy with an expression of shock on their faces. Troy felt his voice begin to close up again, but he continued. "Matt was hit on that cliff face saving his buddies. He was the only one who could make comms work. And when he finally knew what he had to do, he did it without even thinking twice. He went out onto that cliff face to call in a MEDEVAC for me. That's why this is all my fault...If I had just been able to hold on a little longer-" "You can't do that to yourself Troy." Julianne said firmly. "Matt would have given his life for you ten thousand times over. You were his brother and his best friend. He gave his life for you because he loved you. Don't regret that for a second. He would do it again if he had the chance. Forgive yourself Troy. He did what he did because he loved you. Don't feel guilty for that."

Alex walked up to Lucas, who was talking to a few other SEAL's while holding Brookes hand. "Lucas?" "Yessir?" "I was just informed that BUD/S Class 297 is being secured the day after tomorrow. They've invited Team 6 to secure the class. You coming?" "Yessir. I'll head home and get my whites and a clean BDU. Is there a cargo plane headed out that way?" "0600 tomorrow morning." "Wait, you're going on a cargo plane?" Brooke interrupted incredulously. Lucas and Alex both just looked at her. "That's ridiculous. Here, Clothes Over Bros means that I travel a lot, in luxury no less. I have a Boeing 757 VIP Airliner (Search youtube Mr. Trumps 757 for a tour) that can seat all of you comfortably. And it will get there faster. How about using that instead?" She pleaded, wanting to treat the men to something nicer than the military would provide. Alex initially tried to protest, but Brooke quickly shot him down. Finally, after several minutes of peaceful arguing, Alex relented and agreed. "Alright. Tree Hill Airport 0600 tomorrow morning." "It'll be ready." Brooke replied.

The sun had been low when the funeral had started and now was falling rapidly. Alex Martin, Lucas Scott, Troy, Jack, and all of the rest of the members of SEAL Team 6 bid those that came with them to give them a minute to see their brothers casket one last time. As the sun dropped below the treeline and covered the casket in a golden orange glow one final time, no tears escaped any of the men who gathered to honor their fallen brother one final time. As Lucas felt the hot tears fall down his cheeks, he thought to himself what he had told Matt earlier. "_I love you brother. _

_I'll see you soon."_


	30. SEAL Team 6

(A/N: This is a list of SEAL Team 6 members. In parenthesis are the search terms to plug into google or bing or whatever you use to search images. I'll update and add other characters, weapons, vehicles, places, etc etc. This will be really good for helping visualize. Enjoy!)

SEAL Team 6

Based out of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, San Diego, California and Fort Marshall, Charleston, South Carolina

Currently operating out of Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan

Commander Mack Montana (Liam Neeson)

Lt. Commander Alex Martin (Alex O'Loughlin)

Lt. Commander Brett Stevens (Liam Hemsworth Beard)

Lt. Commander Eric Barrett (Chris Hemsworth Red Dawn)

Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin Buzz Cut (Yes, I know there's already one character that looks like him. I couldn't leave the Hawaii Five-0 guys out of it.))

Lt. Commander Harm Rabb Jr. (David James Elliott JAG)

Lt. Commander Burgess Jenkins (Burgess Jenkins)

Lt. Jason Morgan (Billy Miller)

Lt. Brady Black (Eric Martsolf)

Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise Top Gun)

Lt. Bryan Craig (Bryan Craig)

Lt. Caleb Haas (Grahm Rogers)

Lt. Eric Brady (Greg Vaughn)

Lt. Lucas Till (Lucas Till)

Master Chief Petty Officer Jim Halpert (John Krasinski 13 Hours)

Master Chief Petty Officer Paul Briggs (Daniel Sunjata Beard)

Master Chief Petty Officer Dan Stevens (Dan Stevens Beard)

Master Chief Petty Officer Oliver Hudson (Oliver Hudson)

Master Chief Petty Officer Brant Daugherty (Brant Daugherty Beard)

Master Chief Petty Officer Bradley Cooper (Bradley Cooper Short Hair and Stubble (Or Bradley Cooper American Sniper, depending on the deployment)

Master Chief Petty Officer Jesse Lovett (Luke Bryan)

Master Chief Petty Officer Chase Taylor (Josh Duhamel)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Dawson Cole (James Marsden The Best of Me)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Troy Bolton (Zac Efron The Lucky One) (with Julianne Hough)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Dale Jakes (Brandon Jay McLaren with no dreads)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Chris Wood (Chris Wood Beard)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Colton Queens (Stephen Amell)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Tom Welling (Tom Welling Draft Day)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Sean Maguire (Sean Maguire)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Trent Roberts (Josh Turner)

Chief Petty Officer Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray (With thick stubble))

Chief Petty Officer Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel/Wade Kinsella)

Chief Petty Officer Robert Scott Wilson (Robert Scott Wilson)

Chief Petty Officer Ben Lawson (Ben Lawson)

Chief Petty Officer Thomas "Preacher" Wilson (Preacher Medal Of Honor)

Chief Petty Officer Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams)

Chief Petty Officer Mark Sloan (Eric Dane)

Chief Petty Officer Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett)

Chief Petty Officer Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell)

Chief Petty Officer Lincoln Campbell (Luke Mitchell)

Chief Petty Officer Scott Eastwood (Scott Eastwood)

Chief Petty Officer Cam Gigandet (Cam Gigandet)

Chief Petty Officer Keith Kelley (Charles Kelley)

Chief Petty Officer James Shaw (Dierks Bentley)

Chief Petty Officer Alex Peyton (Chris Pine)

Chief Petty Officer Sean Peyton (Casey Affleck)

Petty Officer 1st Class Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit Beard)

Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Jonas (Kevin Jonas 2015)

Petty Officer 1st Class Brooks Wentworth (Pierson Fode Beard)

Petty Officer 1st Class James Diamond (James Maslow 2015)

Petty Officer 1st Class Kendall Knight (Kendall Schmidt 2015)

Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos Garcia (Carlos Pena Jr 2015)

Petty Officer 1st Class Logan Mitchell (Logan Henderson 2015)

Petty Officer 1st Class Whitney Fordman (Eric Johnson Smallville (Older version with stubble))

Petty Officer 1st Class Fox Crane (Justin Hartley)

Petty Officer 1st Class Derrick Warren (Jackie Lee Country Singer)

Petty Officer 1st Class James Barnett (Canaan Smith)

Petty Officer 1st Class Lee Stover (Chase Rice)

Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Lane (Chris Lane)

Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Reeves (Chris Evans)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Adams (Chad Brownlee)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Anderson Murray (David Fanning Country Singer)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Colton Haynes (Colton Haynes)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian Somerhalder (Ian Somerhalder)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael B. Jordan (Michael B. Jordan)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wentworth Miller (Wentworth Miller)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Cal Greenwood (Justin Timberlake)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Joe Jonas (Joe Jonas 2011)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Dylan West (Adam Levine)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Russo (David Henry)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Johnny Tuturro (Manny Montana)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Johnson (Brett Eldredge)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Josh McKay (Easton Corbin)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Will North (Dylan Scott)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Wright (Austin Webb)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Tom Hardy (Tom Hardy Warrior)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ben Higgins (Ben Higgins)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Will Cloud (Luke Benward 2015 (With beard))

Petty Officer 3rd Class Spencer Walsh (Shane Harper 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight 2014)

Petty Officer 3rd Class PJ Duncan (Jason Dolley 2014)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nick Jonas (Nick Jonas 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jack Brewer (Leo Howard 2013)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Zack Martin (Dylan Sprouse 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Martin (Cole Sprouse 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin Moon (Ross Lynch)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Liam Court (Matt Lanter)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin Tallridge (Justin Deeley 90210)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan McCartan (Ryan McCartan 2015)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin North (Austin North)

Petty Officer 3rd Class JJ Deveraux (Casey Allen Moss)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell)

Petty Officer 3rd Class William Grayson (Chase Bryant)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Collin Lawrence (Hunter Hayes)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Williams (Frankie Ballard)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Matt Clayton (KIA in Operation Judgment Day) (Paul Walker)

Lt. Kelly Severide (KIA in Operation Love Story) (Taylor Kinney/Taylor Kinney Zero Dark Thirty)

Lt. Matthew Casey (KIA in Tree Hill High op) (Jesse Spencer Chicago Fire)

LT Michael P. Murphy (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Taylor Kitsch Lone Survivor)

SO2 Matthew Axelson (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Ben Foster Lone Survivor)

SO2 Danny Dietz (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Emile Hirsch Lone Survivor)

SOC Jacques J. Fontan (KIA in Operation Red Wings)

SOCS Daniel R. Healy (KIA in Operation Red Wings)

LCDR Erik S. Kristensen (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Eric Bana Lone Survivor)

SO1 Jeffery A. Lucas (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Dan Bilzerian Lone Survivor)

LT Michael M. McGreevy (KIA in Operation Red Wings)

SO2 James E. Suh (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Rich Ting Lone Survivor)

SO1 Jeffrey S. Taylor (KIA in Operation Red Wings)

SO2 Shane E. Patton (KIA in Operation Red Wings) (Alexander Ludwig Lone Survivor)


	31. Chapter 28

(A/N: Listen to "Lone Survivor" by Explosions in the Sky. The song sets the mood throughout the entire chapter. Also, for a video of the funeral from last chapter, search "Medal of Honor Warfighter Ending Scene **SPOILER** Part 19 (Campaign) [HD] (XBOX360/PS3/PC)" on youtube. And now onto the story (:)

April 4th, 2022

Brooke walked out of the plane at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado's airstrip and quickly put on her sunglasses to block the intense rays. She looked over to see all of the SEALs disembarking with their go bags and uniforms, all looking freshly invigorated by their return to what the place they affectionately nicknamed "The Devil's Personal Hell." Brooke laced her fingers through Lucas' as the two walked through at the front of the pack. She saw the military base and quickly kissed Lucas' cheek, once again feeling a sense of pride overcome her. Almost nothing made her as proud as seeing her husband among those who admired and respected him. While he downplayed it and said it was no big deal, she felt her heart surge as she watched grown men and women step back and salute a man who was their junior, out of respect for him and all he had done. "I'm looking forward to seeing some of BUD/S." She told him as they walked to the office within the SEAL training compound. Lucas laughed and put his arm around her. "Oh, it's quite a sight."

Behind the other SEALs walked some more civilians from Tree Hill and some wives and family of the other SEALs. Haley and Nathan walked hand in hand with Jamie running around, imitating soldiers. Haley laughed before yelling, "JAMIE!" The boy quickly ran back to his mother. "You have to be careful sweetheart. This is a place you don't want to be running around in." "Yes mama." He said obediently, before launching into a barrage of questions. "So is this where Uncle Lucas trained? And Uncle Alex? Are there going to be a lot more people like them? What are we going to see? Can I shoot a gun? Can I-" "Woah woah woah, slow down sweetie." Haley said laughing. "I'll let Uncle Alex explain that to you. Alex!" She yelled, directing his attention over to the family. Alex, dressed in jeans, boots, a blue SEAL shirt, and Under Armor tactical glasses, strode over. "What's up Hales?" Jamie quickly jumped into his questions again, causing Alex to laugh at his enthusiasm. "Slow down there kiddo. Yes, this is where your Uncle Lucas and I trained. Every SEAL trained here. And no, I don't think you get to shoot a gun this time buddy. Your mama would kill me." He said, smirking at Hales. She laughed and smacked Alex's arm. "You know I would too." Alex shook his head and picked up Jamie before they ran to the front of the pack. Nathan kissed Haley's forehead. "Your cousin is a good guy Hales. We're blessed with a great family." Haley felt herself choke up. "I'm scared Nathan." "Of what?" "This is what changed my cousin and Lucas forever. I just...I don't know what's going to be beyond this compound. This week forever changed Alex. I remember we had to come take care of him afterwards for a week because of what it did to his body. He's never been the same. And I'm just...I'm scared." Nathan kissed her forehead again before pulling her close. "It's gonna be alright Hales. Just think...seeing all of this, you might finally be able to understand that part that you and Quinn never could get into. It's a blessing Hales. Don't be scared. Be happy that you are finally going to understand a part of Alex and Lucas that you never would have otherwise." "Thanks Nathan."

Alex Dupre walked up behind Alex Martin at a brisk pace, trying to catch him without making it obvious that she was trying to do so. "How're you doing Miss Dupre?" He asked with a smirk. "Pretty well I must say. But I'm going to be doing even better when I finally get my man." She replied with a wink. "Oh yeah?" He asked, playing along. "Mhmmmm...get down here Jamie Scott!" She said as she grabbed the boy and brought him down to hold hands with her. Alex's smile widened as he watched. _"Man she's gorgeous...and good with kids...on top of everything else...ughhhhhh, why me. Why me?_ C'mon, let's get to the SEAL compound. We've got a briefing then for all the civies."

After checking everyone in, checking ID's, and verifying that none of the group were security risks, they were led into a classroom to listen to Alex and some of the other officers. Alex spoke first. "Alright y'all, here's how this is going to work. Y'all have all been granted special access to Hell Week's final days. You will stay with a SEAL at all times and will not wander around. Do not interfere with the white shirts, also known as the trainees, the instructors, or anyone else. Do not run around, try to participate, or do anything of the sort. This is the end of the Rite of Passage for all future Navy SEALs. Therefore, we would all appreciate it if you do not interfere. It's nothing personal, we are not trying to be personal, but again, these are some of the days a SEAL will remember for the rest of his life. Eric?" Alex went to sit with Alex Dupre and Eric Barrett went up to speak. "You are about to see some of the world's toughest, most rigorous, and most painful training being performed by men who have gone without sleep for almost four days. They are barely functioning at this point, and most have major ailments. Broken legs, pneumonia, you name It, one of them has probably got it. The original class started with over one hundred and fifty students and entering hell week, nearly a hundred remained. Ninety percent have dropped out. There are fourteen members of the original class left, and all have the rest of today, tonight, and tomorrow to complete. None of them are going to quit, but they aren't done yet. Not even close. So bear in mind, when you see them...just be prepared. Brett?" Eric went to take a seat with his wife and Brett squeezed Taylors leg before standing up to finish the presentation. "Let me reiterate to you again, this is a very unspeakably precious privilege that you all have been given. Please do not take advantage of it. What you are about to see will probably change the way you look at your husbands, brothers, friends, whomever you came with, forever. After seeing what we have all been through, you will never see any of us the same way ever again. We're all proud to show you what we went through to get to where we are today. So, without further waiting, follow me." The SEALs all woke up form the nap they pretended to take and their families followed, prepared to be struck in awe by what they saw. They were, but it was in a different way than what they expected.

They watched the men take off down the obstacle course as fast as they could force their bodies to move. Quinn watched, startled, as a man who looked much younger than her fell asleep standing up. The instructors quickly took notice and began to scream, ordering all men to return to the beginning of the course and stand at attention. "Lock arms!" Then instructors screamed. "Forward march!" The white shirts began to move forward towards the Pacific Ocean while summoning a roar from within themselves that sent chills down the spine of all those who were watching. "Hold!...down." The men all sat down in the cold water and laid back as the waves began to pound them. "What are they doing Alex?" Quinn asked, as Alex Dupre nodded in agreement. "Surf Torture. Nothing is worse than being cold, wet, and sandy. But then, that's the entirety of BUD/S." "Why do they do that?" Alex Dupre asked. "It's a gut check. It forces you to ask yourself if being a SEAL is really worth it." "...Is it?" "Absolutely."

(AN: The SEAL Trainees (White Shirts) are:

Petty Officer 1st Class Josh Brannan (Will Rothhaar)

Petty Officer 1st Class Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman)

Petty Officer 3rd Class John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe)

Petty Officer 3rd Class John Ross Ewing III (Josh Henderson)

Petty Officer 3rd Class David Maxwell (Luke MacFarlane)

Petty Officer 3rd Class David Louis (Dylan Sprayberry)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Josh Jackson (Mason Dye)

Seaman Preston Scavo (Max Carver)

Seaman Timothy Shaw (William Peter Mosley)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Zeke Falcone (Hutch Dano)

Petty Officer 2nd Jake Foster (Tom Austen)

Lt. Lee Royce (James Norton)

Lt. Chris Hughes (Dylan Bruce)

Seaman Matt Elrod (Wyatt Nash)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ben Pettis (Sterling Beaumon)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Bennett (Chace Crawford))

Brooke had to shut her eyes as she watched the men go through hell. Most of the men, younger than her and Lucas, looked absolutely horrible. They were falling asleep on their feet, falling back into the water during surf torture, and slipping around and falling during sand run. "Lucas?" She asked as the sun began to set and the civilians went back to the hotel they were staying at down the beach from Coronado. "Yeah pretty girl?" "You did this for six months?" He shook his head. "No, not six months. Hell Week is six days out of six months. It's not always this bad. You're not even seeing the bad parts of Hell Week." Brooke scoffed in amazement. "This isn't even that bad?" Lucas laughed. "No, it's bad. It's just not as bad as it could be." Brooke shook her head. "I will never understand you SEALs." "That kinda sucks babe, cause you're stuck with one." The two laughed and gave each other a kiss before continuing up the beach to Hotel Del Coronado and Lucas and Alex's joint apartments.

Later that night, after poker, pizza, and beer, the family of Lucas and Alex were sitting around Lucas' couches in his living room that looked out over the beach from the fifteenth floor. While they all sat around and laughed about more prototypical things, Lucas and Alex were outside on the veranda overlooking the beach and the Pacific Ocean, drinking their beer. "I remember going through class with Troy. Good man, but he was so much younger than the rest of us. We used to call him baby face." The two men quietly laughed. "Matt too...damn I miss that man." "Me too brother." The men both took another sip before listening to the distant yells of the instructors down the beach. "It's crazy to think that some of those guys aren't gonna make it out of the first deployment." Lucas said, shaking his head. Alex shrugged. "It sucks. But that's what we signed up for." "I know. But still...I don't know, it just makes you wonder sometimes." "Hooyah to that." "You wanna wake up and PT a little bit early tomorrow morning?" "0500 sound good?" "Hooyah sir." "Then I'll turn in. Goodnight Lucas." "See you in the morning sir."

Alex walked through the living room, hugged and kissed Quinn and Haley, and told them he was headed off to bed. "Y'all better turn in soon too. Tomorrow is gonna be a good day." Quinn nodded and came up to kiss his cheek one more time. "Sleep well cuzzo." "You too Quinny." Alex Dupre got up and quietly slipped into his room, where she was waiting for him after he took off his jeans and shirt. After cuddling up, he immediately began to drift off, but Alex Dupre stayed up, thinking about what she had seen. "Hey Alex?" She asked a few minutes later. "Hmmmmm?" He responded drowsily, half asleep. "Do you see this going anywhere?" "No, I don't see my bed going anywhere. Go to sleep Alex." "She shook her head. "I mean us." The SEAL lifted himself up onto a shoulder as she turned to face him. "Yes Alex, I do see this going somewhere. Why?" "Because after what I saw today...don't you need someone strong who's going to raise your kids by herself and do everything by herself? Don't you need your wife that will always be there to help you push through-" Alex cut her off with a finger to the lips and a kiss on the forehead. "There is no one I would rather be with. You're perfect just the way you are. Now go to bed." And with that, he pulled her in tight and promptly fell asleep.

"Hey Lucas?" "Yes Brooke?" He responded to his wife as they cuddled, trying to fall asleep. "Your heart is pounding out of your chest. What's wrong?" Lucas shrugged. "Being around Coronado gives me butterflies. I start to relive Hell Week and it gets my heart racing." Brooke turned over to look at him. "What do you remember most about Hell Week?" Lucas looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "I remember pain. I remember exhaustion. I remember cold. Why?" "Because I don't understand why you did it." Lucas responded by pointing at the tattoo of Mikey's name. "That's why." And with that, the two soon drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, before the sun came up, the remaining students of Class 297 were struggling to put one foot in front of the other as they walked around Coronado with their IBS rafts on their heads. As the instructors yelled and screamed, they kept pushing forward, reminding themselves that they had mere hours left before Hell Week was finally over. "Halt." Instructor Chris Roberts (Derek Hough) spoke out in a quiet yet determined voice. "Down boat." "DOWN BOAT!" The white shirts repeated, immediately doing as they were told. The instructor stood for a minute, looking at the men before pointing to a pair running down the beach, framed by the early morning orange that was just starting to peak over the horizon. "Gentleman, the fight does not end here. The fight extends long past Hell Week. Those men you see running are some of the most decorated SEALs currently on active duty. The work never ends gentleman. The SACRIFICE never ends. You are approaching the end of Hell Week, but you are just beginning a journey gentleman. Never forget that." Roberts looked at the pair and sighed, remembering how it was when he watched everything fall apart during Operation Red Wings and watched Alex lead his men through it. He remembered seeing Lucas the day they came back. And finally, he remembered the three coffins of his beloved brothers that gave their lives on that mountain, as well as the many more in the chopper. "My last combat deployment was in 2014. It was there that I watched the events of Operation Red Wings unfold, and it was there that I watched men rise from the ashes to forever change the SEALs. Running on this beach are two of those men. They are still training, still striving to better themselves. Hell Week does not mean the end gentleman. It is only the beginning. Up boat." "UP BOAT!"

After the workout, everyone met in Lucas' apartment for breakfast. For most of them, it was much to early in the morning, but Lucas insisted. Brook struggled out of bed and grabbed herself a cup of coffee, before going over to lean on her husband. "Lucassssssssss." "Yes pretty girl?" "Why are we up so early?" "To see this." He responded, pointing over to the beach. The early morning had painted the seaside in a beautiful orange. "Wow...it's beautiful." Lucas kissed her cheek and nodded, before pulling her close into him. "I love you Brooke Davis Scott." She smiled and closed her eyes, leaning back even further. "I love you too Lucas Scott." She whispered.

Later that morning, the group, the civilians in their Sunday best and the SEALs in their Summer White uniforms (summer white navy). "Why are we all dressed up Uncle Lucas?" Jamie asked while tugging on his tie to relieve his itching neck. "It's a special day Jamie. You'll understand one day." Lucas responded before picking him up and sitting him on his shoulders as they walked towards the beach.

Right as they got to the sand wall that separated the beach from the compound, Lucas motioned everyone to quiet down and follow him up. All within the massive group complied, and they all quickly fell in behind the SEALs of Team 6, who took the lead. Brooke crossed over the dune and was shocked by what she saw. The White Shirts looked like they were near death, but they were still carrying the boats on their heads, lunging, running, and getting submerged in the freezing Pacific Ocean if they didn't do it right. Brooke felt her hand cover her mouth as she tried to understand why the men were struggling through it, or for that matter, why any member of the SEALs went through what they did. She shook her head in disbelief. "They are truly unbelievable men. I will never understand them."

The instructor screamed at the men, taunting them, telling them that there was still another day left before they could even think about being done. But it was all calculated, and all instructors knew that it was time, that the end of Hell Week had finally arrived. "HALT" He screamed. "DOWN BOAT!" "DOWN BOAT!" The white shirts responded. "Lock arms...forward." The men walked into the water, some tearing up at the freezing cold that they began to feel around their ankles, others at the possibility that Hell Week wouldn't end. When they were about ankle deep in water, Instructor Roberts ordered them to halt. "About face." The men all turned around, some collapsing to their knees in the water, physically unable to stand. It was then that Instructor Roberts nodded to Alex and Lucas, who walked forward from the line of SEALs from Team 6 that stood along the beach. The two, in one voice, began to speak. "In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed.

Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life.

I am that man.

My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust of those I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.

My loyalty to Country and Team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own.

I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men.

Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.

We expect to lead and be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. I lead by example in all situations."

As they approached the last lines, Lucas and Alex's voices began to grow stronger, gaining power, the pride reverberating with every word they spoke.

**"I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.**

**We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me – my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.**

**We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.**

**Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail."**

Alex looked to the instructor, who nodded. Alex smiled and said, "Class 297, Hell Week is secured." The men immediately raised a cheer with every fiber in their being, their pain temporarily forgotten. Lucas walked over to Brooke and smiled before pulling her into a long passionate kiss. "That was beautiful Lucas." She said after they finished kissing. "The SEAL Creed. It's what I live my life by." Brooke laid her head on his shoulder as he held her close. "Brett was right. I'm never going to see you the same again. You are truly a hero babe. I love you Lucas Scott." "And I love you Brooke Davis Scott." And with that, the SEAL gave his wife another long loving kiss.


	32. Chapter 29

April 6th, 2022

Brooke awoke to the soft light of the early morning sun peaking through the windows and sat up to see the Pacific Ocean bathed in an orange glow. She yawned before heading into the kitchen of the apartment to find Lucas. As it was a Saturday, she expected to find Lucas in sweatpants and a ragged t shirt, drinking coffee and reading over the newspaper or reports from the Teams. Instead, she was surprised to find him dressed in his tan NWU's, rushing between coffee and papers that were strewn about the kitchen bar. "Lucas, what are you doing?" "The C.O. called, said I needed to report to the op room at Coronado asap. I'm about to head out now." Brooke immediately felt a wave of concern rise within her and asked, "Do you think that they're about to redeploy you?" Lucas shrugged. "Doubtful. I think they would have let me know that over the phone. No, I think that this is something more urgent than that. Something more important." "Brooke, nodded, satisfied with the answer that she received. She kissed him on the lips before wishing him luck. "Knock em dead babe." "Hooyah to that Mrs. Scott."

A few minutes later, Lucas walked into the op room within the Naval Base at Coronado to find all active members of SEAL Team 6 as well as a few retired members from when Lucas first joined. Lucas quickly found his spot next to Alex and sat down before whispering, "What's this all about Alex?" "No idea Luke. We'll find out in a few minutes I guess." A moment after Alex spoke, Commander Mack Montana strode into the room and spoke. "Attention on deck!" The men stood to attention as General Michael Holden, Secretary of the Navy Tom Ryan (Tom Ryan The Unit), and the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Garrett Walker (Michel Gill House of Cards). "Please be seated." The President said. All in the room immediately took a seat. "Gentleman, I am here today to inform you that the United States Congress and Senate have conjoined to put a bill on my desk. A bill that I have signed. That bill is the nomination for Lt. Michael Murphy and Lt. Kelly Severide to each receive the Medal of Honor for their actions in Operation Red Wings and Operation Love Story, respectively. All of you will report to the East Room of the White House one week from Monday for the ceremony. Gentleman, I also wanted to thank you for your selfless service and sacrifice. You men are the reason that this country is what it is. Thank you for everything that you do." With that, the President stepped away and everyone in the room snapped to attention. The secretary grabbed Lucas and Alex, motioning them to follow. Nodding attentively, the men followed the secretary out onto the beach, where President Walker was waiting. "So this is where the infamous BUD/S takes place." Lucas and Alex both nodded. "Class 297 just finished Hell Week yesterday." The president turned around and looked at the men. "I wanted to talk to you two because you were both there, directly involved. Lucas...you were the Lone Survivor. Alex, you led your men through two of the worst days in the history of Naval Special Warfare. What got you through?" "Alex looked at Lucas, who nodded and spoke. "It was here, in my Hell Week, that I learned to rely on my brothers. It was then I learned to rely on my love for Brooke. It was then I learned to remember my family and friends in my times of need. And it was then that I learned to love my brothers unconditionally, and it was then that I found out how powerful deep and pure love is. So, to answer your question Mr. President, it was here that I learned it, but it was everyone in my life that got me through." The men stood there for a few minutes with nothing but the sound of crashing waves. "Do you regret it?" The president asked Lucas, breaking the silence. Lucas felt himself choke up. "I wish it had been me, sir." The president nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. "You're a good man Lucas. Now go home. Go back to Tree Hill and get some rest." Lucas smiled and shook the presidents hand, with Alex quickly following suit. "Thank you sir."

Lucas walked back into his room to greet Brooke with a kiss. She smiled into the kiss and asked, "What was that for?" "I love you, you know that?" She nodded and pulled herself into her husband's strong arms. Lucas kissed her forehead and held her close, squeezing her into him. "Brooke, I don't know how, but one day we're gonna have kids. You and me. And one day, I'll be done with this job and I'll be done with deployments and it'll just be you and me and our family. I promise." Brooke held back happy tears and kissed her husband's cheek. "I don't know what I would do without you Lucas Scott." "I'm gonna love you forever Brooke Davis Scott. Always and forever."

Alex walked back into his room to find Alex Dupre packing her bags. She turned when he heard him enter and smiled. He motioned her to come sit down next to him. "What is it Alex?" He put his hands on her cheeks and brought her forehead to rest against his. "Alex, I...I've fallen in love with you. I'm not a great guy Alex, I love my work, I love war, and I'm not a great guy. I've done a lot of things I can't speak about...I'm a broken man and I can't begin to measure up to Lucas or any of the other great men that you have come to know in Tree Hill, but I want to be with you. If you don't feel the same way, I understand. But I want, more than anything, to be with you. Like really be with you. Please, be my girl Alex Dupre?" The model kissed him hard and they fell back on the bed they had been sitting on. "Alex...you know how to sweet talk a girl. Of course I'll be your girl."

The Tree Hill family boarded a red eye military flight back to the Tree Hill airport. Lucas looked over all of the family that was in the plane. Nathan, Haley, and Jamie all sat in their seats watching basketball film, analyzing Nathan and laughing as a family. Quinn and Clay held one another as they laid back their heads to catch some sleep on the long flight. Peyton, Skills, Millie, Mouth, Rachel, Quentin, and Chase all sat together, laughing at something Mouth said. Brooke and Alex Dupre were talking happily about the events of the morning, both looking beautiful as ever. The whole scene made Lucas smile wide. Alex walked up behind him and slapped his shoulders. "This. This is what we fight for. You, me, and all of our brothers. We fight for one another and we fight for this beautiful picture." Alex pulled Lucas into a tight brotherly hug and held him close. "I love you brother." "I love you too brother."

April 8th, 2022

Brooke woke up to find her husband with breakfast in bed ready for her. "Morning pretty girl." Lucas said with a smile and a kiss. She smiled back and responded happily, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "I just love my girl. Now enjoy your breakfast and your morning. I'll be back soon." "You have to go train this morning?" "Nope. I'm heading to go see Whitey." "Aww, Lucas, I'm sure he'll love that." "I hope so. Anyways, I'm headed out to his cabin, but I'll be back by lunch. Love you babe." "Love you too." The couple shared another kiss and Lucas headed out to his truck.

Alex Martin, however, was not having as great of a morning, nor sharing it with the woman he loved. Instead, his eyes were focused on a laptop and he was paying attention to both the voice of Eric Barrett on the phone and the reports and satellite imagery that was pulled up on his laptop. "I can't trace the P.E.T.N. brother. The trail goes all over the place." "I know that Eric, but there's gotta be something. These guys aren't this good!" "Look brother, the CIA has got top notch intelligence on this. They're gonna figure it out." "And If they don't? We should be three steps ahead of these motherfuckers Eric, not watching them blow up buildings when we didn't even know they were moving the fucking P.E.T.N.!" "Calm down brother. We're gonna get to the bottom of this. For now, you need to calm down, relax, and go be with your family and friends. We're gonna figure this out, and when we do, we're gonna go kill those motherfuckers. For now, you need to go be with your family. I'll call you tomorrow morning." "Roger that. Martin out." Alex clicked the phone off and shut the laptop off before sighing and putting his head in his hands. _"What the fuck am I missing here?"_

The man was shaken out of his thoughts by a soft hand on his shoulder. He kissed it before kissing Alex Dupre. "Good morning baby." She said. "Morning beautiful. You sleep well?" "Yep. I take it you didn't?" Alex shook his head and ran his hands through his hair and down his face. "Negative. Work." She frowned and ran her hands on his back, trying to soothe him. "You need to get more sleep." "I know. Once I figure this shit out I will. You wanna grab breakfast?" "Sure. Karen's?" "Sounds great."

At Karen's Café, many of the Tree Hill family were sitting in the booths and at the bar, enjoying breakfast and one another's company on the beautiful morning. The two Alex's sat in a booth, holding hands and enjoying the Tree Hill paper. Brooke and Haley were both serving, while Clay, Quinn, and Jamie sat at a table, eating breakfast and laughing about something related to Haley the night before. It was then that the bell rang and Haley looked up to find the joyful sound of her mothers' voice, greeting the family within the café with a happy "Good Morning everyone!" Haley rushed over and wrapped her mother in a hug. "Mom! It's so good to see you!" Quinn rushed over and did the same. Jamie rushed over and wrapped his grandmother in a hug. "Grandma!" "Jamie! There's my boy." Nathan walked over and gave her a hug. "Nathan, how are you doing?" "I'm doing well Lydia." Lydia looked around to see her favorite nephew sitting in the corner booth. "Alex, I know you're not avoiding me. Come over here and give your aunt a hug." Alex smiled and walked over, wrapping Lydia in a tight hug. "Hey Lydia. It's so good to see you." She smiled and looked up at him, running her hands over the fresh set of stubble that covered his face. "You look so much better than the last time I saw you. " "The last time you saw him? When was that?" Haley asked, curious. Alex laughed and left an arm hanging around his aunt. "When she was on vacation in Israel on that little jaunt she took around the Middle East, she ran into me and some of my guys when we were returning from an op. My uni was all jacked up and I had a full length beard." Lydia laughed and said, "He looked like a hurt caveman." "C'mon Lydia, cut me some slack." The entire family gathered around a table and continued to laugh together. Alex smiled as he watched his family and kissed his aunt on the cheek, before waving Alex over to join him. _"I love my family."_

Lucas ran his hand through his hair and smiled as he let the music playing through his truck sink into his soul. The windows were rolled down and the trees from all of the orchards along the dirt roads ran by in fast motion. Driving, running, speed in general, helped him relax his mind and soul. As the cabin that Whitey owned loomed at the end of the dirt road, Lucas turned down the music and took his aviators off. _"I love it out here."_

After turning off the truck, Lucas walked up to the porch to find Whitey sitting in a rocking chair with his cowboy hat and belt buckle. "Hey coach." Whitey smiled and shook his hand. "Lucas, how's my favorite basketball player doing?" Lucas smiled and sat down in the rocking chair next to Whitey. "I'm doing pretty well coach. Really well actually." "And why's that?" "I finally have started finding closure. For Matt, for Kelly, for Mikey, for all of the guys I lost over there, I'm finally starting to find closure and I'm finally starting to move on with my life." "It's tough to lose someone that you love Lucas. Especially when you love someone as much as you love your teammates. It's a different hurt, and it's one that you never quite get over. But I'm glad that you are starting to move on." Lucas nodded and looked off into the distance. "I couldn't have said it better myself coach." "So has Q talked to you at all?" "About what?" "About the Lucas Scott story?" Lucas laughed and shook his head. "I'm scared to ask coach!" "It's nothing bad Lucas. It's the story about Operation Red Wings. It's the story about what happened when everything went to hell on that mountain. It's the story about the love I want my teammates to have one another. I know you don't like hearing it, but you are truly a hero Lucas. You're an inspiration to the team, your friends, your family, your teammates, and I could not be more proud to have been a part of your life. Thank you for everything you do Lucas." Lucas shook his head, but smiled. "I'm no hero. But thank you coach...So tell me about the season..." The two men drifted into conversation about basketball and life in general, all while they smiled inwardly, enjoying the time spent between former teacher and student.

Haley and her mother sat out on the edge of the river that ran behind Haley's house, talking about everything in life from past memories to expectations for the near future. At one point during the conversation, they were joined by Alex, who brought ice cold drinks and even more conversation. But at some point during the enjoyable talk, Haley let the question that the others had been pondering in their heads all day slip out. "SO mom...why are you here? Why did you show up out of the blue like you did?" Lydia smiled and ran her fingers through her daughters hair. "I've been visiting all of my kids honey. Started with the oldest and finished with the best." Haley smiled but groaned. "Mom..." Alex butted in, pondering the question himself. "Lydia, I love you, and I love seeing you, but Haley does have a point. It's so sudden. Is something wrong?" Lydia sighed and pulled the two adults close to her. "I love the two of you."

Later, the entire family sat around the living room in Haley's home, looking over photo albums and laughing at the past. "No WAY! Alex, look at this!" Alex looked over when he heard Quinn yell at him and immediately dropped his head into his hands, laughing so hard that he was crying. "Dammit Lydia, you took pictures when y'all visited me at BUD/S?!" "Of course I did! Why wouldn't I?" "BECAUSE MY HEAD WAS SHAVED!" The entire family burst into laughter at the memory of Alex with no hair. Jamie crawled into his mother's lap to see the picture and immediately burst into laughter. "No way Uncle Alex! You looked like those cats that lose all of their fur!" The entire family was so busy laughing that it took them a minute to notice Lydia's tears. Haley spoke first, concerned. "Mom? Are you ok?" Lydia shook her head and tried to smile. "...I'm sick." She laughed through the tears, attempting to lighten the mood. "Look at me. I swore I wasn't gonna cry, but, boy, these tears are stubborn." Haley, trying to fight the sudden feeling of dread that was tightening her stomach, said, "Mom, but you're gonna be okay, though, right?" Lydia shook her head. "No. I'm not." "What do you mean mom? Tell us what's wrong?" "I have cancer. It's pancreatic." Haley shook her head and, along with Quinn, rushed to her mother's side. "Oh, no, no, no. This can't be happening." "And that means that even with aggressive treatment, I wouldn't have much time left." Quinn spoke up. "But there has to be options, right?" Lydia shook her head. "There aren't, Quinny." Haley spoke up. "Well, you have to try." "Okay, now, I have made my decision. And what I want to do is I want to live the rest of my life fully, with my family, not in some cold hospital." Haley shook her head, protesting. "Mom, you need to be doing everything that you can right now." "Haley, I have come to terms with this, and this is how I want to do it." Alex put his head in his hands, rubbing his face and shaking his head. "You're giving up." "No, I am not giving up. I'm gonna die." Haley reacted angrily, yelling, "Mom, don't say that!" "I can't change that, okay, so I've accepted it." Quinn, tears in her eyes and her voice choking up, spoke, "How? How do you just accept it, mom? You have to fight." "Because I want to enjoy the time I have left." Alex shook his head, tears pouring down his cheeks. "A few days ago, I came from the funeral from one of my best friends who died overseas, away from his family, fighting to his last breath. And here you are, with a chance to fight, and you're giving up! You're committing suicide Lydia!" "Alex, it's not like that and you know it." "I lose all these fucking brothers overseas and I'm supposed to come back to peace and love and family, and here we are, and I can't lose you Lydia! You've become my fucking mother and I can't just fucking lose you!" "Alex, you can do this. You've done so much for the SEALs, you can make it through this-" Alex stood up in fit of anger, reaching his hands under and flipping the table over. "BUT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE TO LYDIA!"

Lucas stood ankle deep out in the Atlantic Ocean, reflecting on his and Whiteys conversation. "FUCK!" Lucas turned around, startled, watching his C.O. come rushing down the beach, randomly stopping to punch the sand or throw an object that was in his way. Lucas jogged over, trying to grab Alex. "ALEX! What's wrong brother?" Alex shook his head, his anger replaced by tears. "...Lydia's got fucking pancreatic cancer. Terminal." Lucas shook his head, his world brought crashing down. "_Alex...Haley...fuck..._I'm so sorry brother." "It isn't supposed to be like this. It's supposed to get easier and less painful when we get back home. It's not supposed to be like this." Lucas pulled Alex into a comforting embrace. "I know buddy. I know."

Hours later, Lydia walked into the living room to find Haley picking the table up and straightening the room. She asked, "Are you okay?" Haley sighed and shook her head. "Not really, no." "Would you like to talk about it?" Haley scoffed and said, "What is there to say? You want me to say I'm mad? I'm mad. This is not fair. You say "I have cancer," and my whole world changes. What am I supposed to do with that, mom? When I need advice on how to be a good mother to Jamie, I call you. When I need advice on how to be a good wife, I call you. When I'm sad or mad or happy or whatever, I call you, and I need you to be here." Lydia rushed over and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "And I am always, always gonna be a part of you, baby. But you are a wonderful mother and a wonderful wife all by yourself. Baby, you are incredibly strong. Think about everything that you have faced. And no matter how difficult, you have always found the graceful way to handle it. Well, you are going to have to find that strength now." Haley shook her head as the tears began to pour down her cheeks. "I don't want to. I don't want to be strong for this, mom." "I need you to be. And your sisters they need you to be. We are going to have to be strong for everybody else who can't be."

Later that night, Lydia was downstairs with the girls, drinking wine and loving on one another when she heard slow bootsteps. Following the noise was the slow steps of Lieutenant Commander Alex Martin. "I'm sorry." He said in a slow choked up voice. "I just don't want to lose you." Lydia motioned him over to the floor with the girls. All three immediately pulled him into their laps, where they stayed for the remainder of the night.

Lucas walked into his bedroom and settled on the bed next to Brooke, running his hands through his hair and around his face. Brooke kissed him and nodded sympathetically. "I heard. Anything we can do?" Lucas shook his head. "Not really. I mean, what can you do other than love them and be there for them?" Brooke buried her head into Lucas's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. She ran her hand on his chest, comforting him "I'm sorry baby. I know this week's been rough." Lucas shook his head. "It's gonna get worse before it gets better." "Well I'll be here through it all. I love you Lucas." "Lover you too Brooke." And with that, the couple turned out their lights and went to sleep. But while Brooke quickly fell asleep, Lucas stayed up, sighing, thinking, _"It's during sleep that the memories come. That the nightmares come. For me, for Alex, for all of is in the teams. But why is it that we're starting to live out our nightmares instead of just dreaming them?"_


	33. Chapter 30

_**(A/N: I moved the timeline for everything up for everything. What was 2022 is being moved back to 2015, etc etc. I'll fix the dates on the other stories soon too. Enjoy!)**_

May 6th, 2015

Lucas woke to the smell and sound of crackling bacon. He slipped out of the bed, slid on a robe, and walked into the kitchen to find Brooke, in her robe with her hair tied up, making Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Lucas slipped behind her and pulled her close, kissing her on the cheek. "Morning pretty girl." She smiled. "Good morning Lucas. Did you sleep well?" "I did. Decided to sleep in a little bit. What about you?" "I slept well too." "Good." Lucas responded, before kissing her on the lips and turning on the news. The screen turned on to the news. Lucas down at the table and grabbed his coffee before opening the paper to read the latest on local sports. Brooke brought the breakfast to the table and sat down, pulling the paper from Lucas' hands. She smiled gleefully and smirked, causing Lucas to laugh. He began to eat and turned his attention to the television. It was then that the TV host spoke "…and we have breaking news that a terrorist attack has occurred in Washington DC. We have few confirmed details, but tentative reports I.D. a middle eastern male wearing an explosive vest as the perpetrator. Several hundred at the event, including several senators and the Vice President, have been critically injured…" Lucas rushed up from the table to grab his cell phone, which had started to ring. He picked up the phone to hear Alex. "Sir, what the fuck just happened?" "Preliminary reports have ID'd the Cleric as responsible. His global networks are blowing up." "What can we do?" "Wait and watch. Start studying up on the Cleric. Train. Get ready to fight." "They're not deploying us sir?!" "They're putting Team 10 on it for the remainder of the deployment." "Fuck." "We'll keep tabs on it Lucas. Now get back to your wife." "Keep me updated sir?" "Of course Lucas. Commander Martin out." The call went off and Alex slammed the phone into his head and shook it. "This is so fucked up." Brooke nodded sympathetically. "I know Lucas. I know."

After he switched off the phone and cussed out the terrorist leader in his mind, Alex returned to Haley's kitchen to help finish making breakfast with her and Lydia. "What was that about Alex?" Quinn asked as she and Clay walked into the kitchen. "What was what about?" "The call that just came in. You looked pissed." Alex waved it off, instead turning to the stove to finish flipping pancakes. "It was nothing. Lydia, can you set out the silverware and plates? I'm about to take the pancakes off." Lydia mock saluted and spoke in a fakely gruff voice, saying, "Yes SIR!" The comment only garnered a small smile from Alex, however, and the rest of the family didn't seem to react to it. Lydia rolled her eyes and muttered, "Nice to know that my kids have turned into the grandparents I didn't have."

They sat down at breakfast and began to eat, but other than Lydia and a hungry Alex, no one was doing much more than picking at their plate. "I, uh, know that we haven't had a family breakfast in a long time, but, um, I seem to remember that there used to be at least some talking and, uh, you know, eating the last few times we've done this. I don't know. Call me crazy." Lydia said, giving everyone at the table a look. Everyone else simply sat there, however, their eyes moistening over. Haley spoke up first, apologizing, saying, "I'm sorry, mom. It's just hard for us to-" " know, honey, but I just want to enjoy a breakfast with my favorite people in the world. Okay? Okay. Good." It was then that Jamie walked down the stairs and up to the table, looking around, surprised to see so many somber adults gathered this early in the morning. "There he is." Lydia said, looking around the rest of the table with a pointed look. "Finally, someone with a personality." She said, taking him on her lap. "What's for breakfast?" "For you? A little bit of everything." Lydia responded, taking the plate of bacon and handing him a slice. He began munching on it and looked up to find everyone staring at him with saddened looks. "What's everyone staring at?" Lydia scrambled for an answer, saying, "I think it's because that was the last piece of bacon. But don't you worry about it. They had their chance. Come with me. I want to show you something, okay?" She picked him up and motioned him to his room, before turning to the rest of the table and saying, "I would like to thank all of you for this scintillating breakfast conversation. You know, it's moments like these that we're supposed to remember." She gave them her motherly look once more before taking Jamie upstairs. The rest of the table shook their heads, still saddened. Alex, being the typical SEAL, muttered, "Fuck me."

Several hours later into the morning, Lucas was talking to Haley in the café. "Some old teacher friends reached out to me. They said that they've got a kid who turned down an appointment to the Naval Academy to enlist." Lucas raised his eyebrows. "He turned down an offer of appointment for the Naval Academy? Why?" "His family has been Navy officers for generations. Mainly aviators, a few surface officers." "So why does he want to talk to me?" "He wants to be a SEAL. They said that you would talk to him." Lucas began to put two and two together. "And they want me to talk him out of it." Haley nodded. "I'll present it like it is. I won't , however, discourage a young man for wanting to serve his country." Haley nodded, debating how to voice her thoughts diplomatically. "Lucas…not everyone needs to be in your line of work." "I know Haley. And BUD/S weeds out those who aren't supposed to be." "Lucas-" "I'm done talking about this Hales. Tell them to swing by the café later." Haley nodded and Lucas gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Brooke walked down the street with Alex Dupre, drinking coffee and talking about their lives. Eventually, the conversation began to drift to Their loves. "What's it like when Lucas is deployed Brooke?" "It's lonely. Everything reminds you that they're gone. But it makes the time that they're with you that much sweeter." "Do you think Alex is worth it Brooke?" "Yes I do. Alex is a good man. You don't find many like him these days." "You did Brooke." Brooke smiled. "Yes I did."

That afternoon, Lucas, Alex, and Troy sat on a booth in Karen's Café, waiting on the teenager. Two walked in. They quickly came over and held out there hands to shake. The first, who seemed to be the leader, was named Jared Wallace (Harry Styles), the star shooting guard for the Ravens. The second, a tad quieter and seemingly more reserved, was the point guard for the Ravens Jason Whitman (Louis Tomlinson). "Gentleman." Alex greeted the two of them. Lucas and Troy both shook their hands and smiled, nodding encouragingly. Lucas started off. "We're supposed to talk to you about being a SEAL. Well, here's what I can tell you. It's about being wet and sandy, tired, uncomfortable, constantly moving, constantly in danger. It's about not seeing your family and friends for months at a time, and when you do, you no longer connect with them like you once did. They'll never fully understand you again. It's abut loss and sacrifice without any expectation of being rewarded. Most will never know what you sacrificed. You won't be able to tell your own wife what you do on deployment. No one you know will ever, and I mean ever, be able to understand what you do and why you do it." Lucas looked the two in the eye before nodding at Troy. "But it's also about love. It's about finding men, just like you, who want nothing more than to serve at the best if their ability. It's about making a difference. It's about being a part of the greatest brotherhood on the face of the earth. It's the best decision I ever made joining the SEALs. So…this something y'all are interested in?" "Yessir!" The two said simultaneously. The three elder SEALs looked at one another and nodded. "We'll write recommendations. You boys start the enlistment process. " With that, Lucas, Alex, and Troy all stood up and walked out. "Wait!" Jared yelled, "That's it?" "We saw all we needed to see son." Alex said, "You two have it."

Alex walked up to Haley, who was behind the counter, and stole the dish rag hanging from her apron, rolled it up, and smacked her with it. She turned around and playfully smacked him on the arm. "Alex! What the hell?!" He laughed and turned away from the playful punches. "Damn Haley!" The two laughed for a minute before Alex got serious. "Hey Hales, I did some digging and I found a guy that owes me a favor. I called it in. He knows one of the top oncologists in the world who works over at Bethesda. He agreed to take a look at her case." She smiled and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thanks cuz." "Anytime Hales." "What on earth did you do to get a favor like that anyways?" "Me, Luke, Troy, and Jack had some op and after it was over, JSOC called us and told us that some convoy got stuck up by insurgents. We went over to help and saved the ass of some low level clerk type." "How come all of your stories involve you saving people?" Brooke yelled out from some table, causing him to laugh. "I guess I've got some kind of hero complex?" He said with a laugh. "Oh bull shit!" Brooke yelled back. Alex laughed again before turning back to Haley. "I'm gonna try and fix this Hales. I promise." With that, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and yelled, "I'm off to the beach!"

About two hours later, Lucas and Alex were getting to the beach at the same time, just shortly before the rest of the team. "Jamie found out." Alex said. "What?" "Hales called me from the road. Lydia took Jamie up after family breakfast this morning. She told him that she was terminal." "Fuck man. I'm sorry." "Don't be sorry for me. Be sorry for Haley. And Nathan. And Lydia. And all the rest of the family." "This hurts you too man. Don't act like it doesn't." "I just don't get why we keep suffering brother. I mean, why the fuck does the world keep fucking with us? What did we ever do?" "We wouldn't be SEALs if our personal lives weren't all fucked up." "What's up with you two?" Troy asked as he walked up behind them, flanked by Brett and Eric. "Jamie found out. Lydia told him." Lucas said. "That fucking sucks." "My sentiments exactly." Alex echoed. He shook his head and ran his hands down his face, cursing everything in his head, before saying, "Alright SEALs, in the water we go. Four mile swim, five mile beach run, and we finish with weapons training. I better not find y'all out of shape." "HOOYAH SIR!" The entire team, now assembled, yelled, before taking off for the water.

Hours later, the SEALs were finishing up with weapons training. "I'm telling you, I won!" Lucas yelled at Alex, laughing. "Brother, I took down more targets quicker than you did!" "But you missed the one next to the civilian!" ""Doesn't matter! You're buying at Karen tomorrow morning." "Awwwwww, what the hell sir." The two continued laughing until they saw General Holden walk up. "Sir!" The two said in unison, both snapping to attention. "At ease gents. I have eyes only material. Alex, come take a look. Lucas, you're cleared too."

The pair flanked the General as he opened the folder titled Operation Gold Eagle. "Two CIA operatives on the inside of a drug cartel run by Mikhail "Christo" Troykovich were intercepted. One was found KIA. The other, Lisa Morales, is unaccounted for. We have reason to believe that she's being held in a compound deep in the Costa Rican jungle. Team 6 has been assigned to this op. Wheels up in two days at sunrise." The two soldiers nodded in understanding. The General continued, saying, "Be prepared to be in it for the long haul. This may just be one mission, but it doesn't feel right. Something else is going on here." "Roger that sir." Lucas responded. "I'll tell the men." Alex said. "Already done." General Holden replied.

Lucas arrived home a few hours later to find Brooke folding clothes and humming to herself. She smiled when she saw him, walking over and planting a kiss on him. "You know, normally I hate doing the laundry, but then I remember it's a cool little housewife thing." She laughed and expected him to join her, but she instead saw him give her a pained smile. "Lucas…what's wrong…" "I ship out the day after tomorrow." Brooke backed up and sat down, her world shaken to its core. "Where?" She managed to choke out. "Classified." "Do you at least know how long?" "Negative." Brooke shook her head. "Lucas…" "I know pretty girl. I know. Look, it's not a deployment. It's just a mission. I might even be back in a few days. Maybe a few weeks, tops. I'll be fine. I promise." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead, squeezing her into his body. "I love you and it's all gonna be ok."

Alex walked into the Scott household to find his family and Alex preparing a late dinner. Lydia waved to him and said, "Your cousin and I made chicken dumpling soup. Your favorite, if I recall correctly. "I'm gonna need you to slow the whole dying thing down Lydia." Alex said to her, straight up. The whole room, caught be surprise, just stared blankly at him. He, in return, slapped his mission orders on the desk. "I'm gonna be away for a little while. I need you to hold out till I get back." "Wait, you're deploying? You can't deploy now." Haley said. "It's a short op. That's all I can tell you." "Is there no one else that can-" "It's done Hales. We leave the day after tomorrow." Nathan pulled his wife into a comforting embrace. Alex Dupre just stood there, the pain in her chest the worst that she had ever felt. "You're just...leaving?" Alex shook his head and pulled her into a hug. "It's my job Alex." "But-" "It's done Alex."

The next night, one hundred plus SEALs and their families gathered on the beach late in the afternoon, as the golden sun was setting. The light spilled out from the mainland over the water to paint the entire beach in a orange glow. Brooke, Haley, and the rest of the One Tree Hill family seemed perfectly at ease, despite their sadness and nervous demeanor about the coming days. Alex Dupre, however, was barely holding it together, something that did not go unnoticed by others. Brooke walked over and put her arm around her new friends shoulder. "You know," She began, "I remember the first time that Lucas deployed. It happened In the middle of the night. We had all gone down to Fort Marshall so that we could meet some people that could help us and be there for us when we needed it. But we never expected for it to happen so soon. We never expected it to be so sudden, you know? The deployment...it hit us hard. It was probably one of the worst days of my life when I found out. I wasn't ready. I wasn't strong. But you are Alex. You're going to get through this. All of us are going to be here for you through the entire time he's gone. He's going to be fine. I promise." Alex turned to Brooke, her eyes red, cheeks moist, mouth quivering, voice shaking, responding, "How can you promise that he's going to be ok? No one can promise that Brooke!" Brooke pulled her into a hug and held her close. "Lucas promises me every time he leaves. It's all I have to hold onto. You have to hold onto that promise Alex. You have too."

Alex Martin sat closer to the bonfire with a few of his buddies, giving his girl some space. It pained him to see her like she was, but Alex knew that she needed some time with some of her girlfriends before he could talk to her rationally. Well, as rationally as one could about being taken and told that they were being sent away on a moments notice. "So I heard Mr. Peyton got a new girl!" Lucas said to Chief Petty Officer Alex Peyton (Chris Pine), giving him a nudge in the chest. The quiet SEAL NCO smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I've gotta give Alex, Brett, and Eric credit. They set me up." "How was that?" Lucas asked, intrigued. "About two weeks ago, Elsa, Eric's wife, on a whim, decided she wanted to visit Disney World again. She worked there for forever, right? Anyways, one of her best friends that she mentored during her last years there was named Belle. She, of course, played Princess Belle. We kinda hit it off that week we were. I decided to be a SEAL and do what I do best. I pulled the trigger and asked to make it official." "And?" Lucas asked. Peyton laughed and said, "Anddddd she said yes! Surprising too. We got off to a little bit of a rough start, her and me. But it all finished alright." "She here tonight?" Peyton nodded and whistled to a pretty brunette, who skipped over and sat down on his knee, giving him a peck on the lips. "Belle, I'd like you to meet Lucas Scott. Belle, Lucas. Lucas, Belle." The woman nodded and shook his hand. "Damn..." Lucas said, "You look EXACTLY like the Belle from Beauty and the Beast." Belle laughed and nodded. "I get that a lot." "You'll have to tell me about working at Disney when you get back. Brooke and I love it down there." Belle nodded, shaken a little bit by the last part of his statement. "Right...when you get back." Alex Martin, who had sat next to Lucas quietly, spoke up, saying, "We're gonna get your man home safe Belle. I'm gonna do everything I can to get this over as quick as possible." "Promise?" She asked. Peyton gently kissed her and pulled her into him. "He doesn't have to promise babe. The commander doesn't say things he doesn't mean." He kissed her again before telling her, "Hey, there's a few wives over there next to Brooke that can tell you about this. The first deployment, I mean. It'll help you, ok?" Belle nodded and gave him one final kiss before heading to the group. "Shit. I wanna come back to that girl brother." He told Lucas. Lucas slapped him on the shoulder and nodded. "I know brother. I know." _**(A/N: I love Beauty and the Beast and Disney World and am doing a short little spin off story based on them! Short deal, nothing big, but this sets up for it and ties that story to this one. It'll be up soon.)**_

Alex walked over to Alex and the girls and put his arm around his girl. "Hey Alex, you mind coming with me for a sec?" She nodded and followed him away from the bonfire a little ways. Once they walked a few yards away, he stopped and turned, looking out over the entire team and all of its operators families. "Our platoon is heading downrange. We have Petty Officer 1st Class Lee Stover (Chase Rice), our sniper. He grew up in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Most excitement he found as a kid was bowling frozen turkeys down the aisle at the grocery store. Petty Officer 2nd Class Johnny Turturro (Manny Montana) our comms guy, our radioman, he grew up in East LA gangland. He has a Silver Star for pulling a wounded teammate out of the fray. Petty Officer 3rd Class Will Cloud (Luke Benward Beard), he is a youngun. Skipped out of school at sixteen and lied about his age, faked his social security and I.D. and everything. Made it all the way through BUD/S before anyone ever found out how old he was. The SEAL Trident Board was so impressed that they let him keep his trident. He had done two tours before he went to his senior prom. You got Petty Officer 3rd Class Jack Brewer (Leo Howard 2013). Should have made chief by now. He's been held back by political reasons outside of the SEALs, but that doesn't faze him. Nothing gets to that man. He's one of the coolest under pressure that I've ever met. Chief Petty Officer Scott Eastwood (Scott Eastwood) is the son of Clint Eastwood. Yeah, you heard me right. He gave up acting, modeling, girls, and riches beyond your wildest dreams to join the teams. I tell you, it made his father so proud. He's a great sailor and an even better man. Then you've got Chief Petty Officer Wade Kinsella (Wade Kinsella). Boy, now that man is a redneck like you wouldn't believe. Comes from deep down in South Alabama. He grew up with me and Brett. Great man. Then there's Senior Chief Petty Officer Jesse Lovett (Luke Bryan). He's a good ole Georgia boy. Joined the SEALs and always found ways to skip out on the swimming training after we got our tridents. Said he joined a terrorist killing machine, not a swim team. Chief Petty Officer Alex Peyton (Chris Pine), he's made of granite. This guy doesn't even do push-ups 'cause he's afraid his chest is gonna get too big. Senior Chief Petty Troy Bolton (Zac Efron The Lucky One) turned down full rides from some of the best college basketball teams in the nation so that he could join the teams. I'd go into a firefight with him anytime, no questions asked. Then there's Lt. Commander Brett Stevens (Liam Hemsworth Beard). He's one of the best leaders I have ever served with. Universally respected. One of my other best friends and brothers is Lt. Commander Eric Barrett (Chris Hemsworth Red Dawn). Another one of the best leaders I have ever served with. Then there's Chief Petty Officer Lucas Scott. One of the best, if not the best, man I have ever met. He's one of the most decorated men sitting around this fire tonight, But as humble as he is, you'd never even know it. He keeps a picture of Brooke in his helmet and a lock of her hair in his pocket. Quiet as the breeze. That last night at home, you think about how you could have been a better dad, a better husband. That bedtime story you should have read or that anniversary you forgot. You don't expect your family to understand what you're doing, you just hope they'll accept it. When you get home, you hope you can pick up right where you left off."

Alex motioned the hundred plus SEALs to surround him at the fire. "I don't have much to say. I never do before these deployments. Especially not when it's so sudden. Look out for your brothers. Love them like your own family. Think of your family back home. They'll guide you back. Remember what we fight for. Remember those who came before us. Let your actions be guided by the creed. Every man do his job to the best of his ability and watch his brothers. We'll be back here soon enough." Alex raised his glass and the rest of the SEALs raised theirs. "For all those who have been downrange, to us and those like us." "Damn few." Every SEAL responded, clinking cups and taking drinks.

The next morning came all too soon for Lucas. He woke up around four in the morning at his house on base, with Brooke in the bed next to him. The rest of his family laid in various rooms around the house, still asleep. He shook the tired out of his eyes and walked to the shower. After a quick shower, he grabbed his tan NWU and put it on. His go bag had been ready the night before. The plane carrying Team 6 to Costa Rica left at sunrise, as they all did when leaving for deployment. After that, he walked out of the bathroom to find Brooke sitting up in bed. "Is it time?" Lucas simply nodded, his voice tight. Brooke motioned to him. "Follow me. I've got something I want to show you." Lucas followed his wife out of the room, into the kitchen, and out onto the patio. It was there, lit by the early sunrise and lights from inside the house, that Lucas saw three objects: A basketball, a Navy SEAL hat, and a blue balloon. "You're gonna be a daddy." Brooke said, tears pouring out of her eyes. Luke fell into a chair, his hands on his head. "I'm gonna be a dad...I'm gonna be a dad. Oh my god, I'm gonna be a dad!" He grabbed Brooke and pulled her into a tight embrace and a deep kiss. The rest of his family, who had been watching, came out and began to hug and congratulate the couple. A few minutes later, Lucas forced himself to tear away from his family. It was then that the new type of tears began to come out. "Everything Is gonna be alright Brooke. I'm gonna be back safe and sound. We're gonna have a baby! Everything is perfect Brooke." He pulled her forehead to him and kissed it. "I love you pretty girl." "I love you too Lucas." With that, Lucas grabbed his go bag and turned around, walking away so his family wouldn't see his tears.

In a house down the block, Alex Martin woke up the same way as Lucas. After going through the same routine, he too found his girl, Alex Dupre, sitting up in the bed, wide awake despite the hour. She hadn't slept much that night, instead lying awake teary eyed. Alex pulled his girl up and kissed her gently. "It's gonna be ok. I promise." "You can't promise that." She replied in a choked voice. "I can. I do. I will." He kissed her forehead and pulled her close. "I love you Alex Dupre. I'm coming back." "I love you too Alex Martin." With that, they kissed one final time, and Alex turned and walked out of the door.

Alex Peyton woke up and went through the same routine as the rest of the SEALs, and like the rest of the SEALs, as he prepared to leave, he saw Belle sitting there, tears in her eyes. "Oh Belle...come here." She rushed to him and wrapped herself in his arms. "Please don't go," She sobbed into his shoulder. Peyton squeezed her even tighter and kissed her forehead before burying his head in her shoulder. "I...I don't know what I'm supposed to say...I've never done this before." She lifted her head up and the two looked into one another's eyes. "Do you think it's crazy to say I fell in love with you in a week?" She asked him, her eyes still glistening with tears. Peyton nodded, saying, "Would It be crazy if I said I felt the same?" She shook her head, with small smiles showing on the two tear stained faces. "Then I guess what I'm supposed to say, Belle, is...I love you." She smiled through the tears and kissed him. "I love you too." Alex Peyton kissed her one more time before turning around and walking out the door, trying to hide the sobs that tempted to come from within.

All members of SEAL Team 6 met at the airfield of Fort Marshall and promptly boarded a C-130 transport. The air was noticeably quiet, with all men emotional, even if they refused to show it. Alex spoke up, saying, "We're headed to Costa Rica frogmen. Get your game faces on." With that, he turned his hat onto his face and promptly went to sleep. The rest of the SEALs soon followed.

Brooke, Quinn, Haley, Belle, Alex, and many of the other girls were at the beach as the sun rose, reading a letter written by Lucas from all within the team. _"War is a country of will. There is no room for sympathy. If you're not willing to give up everything, then you've already lost..._

_Tecumseh wrote "So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart._  
_Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and_  
_Demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life,_  
_Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and_  
_Its purpose in the service of your people._

_Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide._  
_Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,_  
_Even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and_  
_Bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and_  
_For the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks,_  
_The fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing,_  
_For abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision._

_When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts_  
_Are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes_  
_They weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again_  
_In a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."_

_If it is our time, know that we love you and think of you. We fight for you. You are the light that guides us home and the star that reminds us of where home is in the dead of night. Love your warrior and remember that no matter what, we are guided by this virtue..._

_"I am an uncommon man with an uncommon desire to succeed._

_My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. I must earn it every day._

_I fully accept the responsibility of my chose profession and way of life._

_I serve with honor, on and off the battlefield. My word is my bond._

_Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character is steadfast._

_IF KNOCKED DOWN, I WILL GET BACK UP, EVERY TIME. I AM NEVER OUT OF THE FIGHT._

_The lives of my teammates and the success of my mission depend on me._

_I am innovative and disciplined. My training Is never complete._

_I do not advertise the nature of my work or seek recognition for my actions._

_I persevere and thrive on adversity. I train for war and fight to win._

_I WILL NEVER QUIT. I WILL NOT FAIL."_

_We love you and already look forward to the day when we see you again. Just remember...this isn't goodbye._

_Love,_

_Your SEAL"_


	34. Chapter 31

June 9th, 2015

Lucas looked at a picture of Brooke and his family and sighed, running his hands down his face, thinking about what Brooke had said to him right before he left. _"Stay safe Lucas. You've got one more life to think about now. Come home to us baby." "I will. I promise."_ Lucas had gone his entire career being able to shut out the thoughts of home and those that waited for him, focusing instead on his brothers and the task at hand so that he could get home safe. But he could already tell that this deployment would not be the same as other deployments. Lt. Commander Alex Martin came up behind him and slapped him on the shoulders. "How are you doing buddy?" Lucas shook his head. "I don't know man. This one feels different." "I'm sure. It's gonna be fine. Soon you're going to be a proud father and you'll be getting even less sleep than you did during Hell Week." The two man laughed and Lucas punched Alex in the gut. "Asshole." Alex nodded again before returning the favor. "Hey, get your ass inside for the briefing." "Roger that."

The men were stationed at Camp Witches Rock, a small Special Operations base in Costa Rica built to fight the drug trade and the cartels that ran it. A small force of Army Rangers and Air Force Pararescuemen were stationed there long term, in addition to the one hundred SEAL Team 6 members that now joined the base force. Inside the camp's small mess area, the SEALs all sat, waiting for Alex's briefing. Lucas went to sit in the front, while Alex went to the front. "Hey fellas what's up?" After receiving a chorus of hellos and heys, Alex continued. "It's hotter than two rats screwing in a wool sock out there, yeah? Africa-hot... Tarzan couldn't take this heat. Anyway, here's the deal. Time to get your frogman on. Lights. Three days ago, two CIA agents, a Walter Ross and a Miss Lisa Morales, were ambushed inside their hotel room here in Costa Rica by an unknown amount of heavily armed assholes. Unfortunately, Mr. Ross was murdered, and Miss Morales has been abducted. We believe that this has been the work of a guy named Mikhail Troykavitch, aka Christo. LT's going to give you the skinny on him." Lt. Maverick Mitchell (Tom Cruise Top Gun) stood up and nodded, saying, "Thank you sir. Mikhail Troykavitch, aka Christo. This guy is believed to have been working cocaine-for-weapons deals between the Russian mafia, the FARC guerrillas, and the Mexican drug cartels ever since the late 1990s. Now, before she was captured, Morales was working a possible link between our boy Christo and this guy Abu Shabal."

The Lieutenant keyed up a video and put it on the big screen. The video was shot in an abandoned warehouse, with a flag and two armed guards, dressed in black, standing in the background. In the center of the screen, dressed in old school camo with a beard, was Abu Shabal. The recording began to play, with the terrorist speaking, saying, "Glory to Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has created us as Muslims and delivered us with the jihad on his direct path. Peace be upon those who follow his direct path till the Day of Judgment. Let me explain this to you Americans. We are not separatists. We Chechens are not a legal part of anyone, but you Americans are willingly or unwillingly assisting in the genocide of our people by demanding that we obey certain rules, and by your continued occupation of all Muslim countries. With the grace of Allah, glorious and exalted is he, America will never be safe until safety becomes a reality for us. Allahu Akbar." Lucas shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Fuck it, this man is crazy."

Lt. Mitchell continued his presentation, saying, "Abu Shabal is a Chechen terrorist... who's associated with the Beslan School Massacre. He's been jumping between training camps in Indonesia and the Philippines. Now, the connection between Christo and Abu Shabal... is still a little bit fuzzy, but if this was the lead that Morales was working on, it could be why she was abducted. Commander?" Lieutenant Commander Alex Martin stood up and walked to the front. "All right, this is a personnel recovery of Miss Morales. All right, who's got questions?" Petty Officer 3rd Class Will Cloud (Luke Benward beard) went first, asking, "Commander, you got any updated source intel on numbers inside the camp, and what about roving patrols?" "Maybe eight to ten, bro, but we don't know anything about roving patrols. You're just gonna have to assume that they're out there... walking around, squared away. They do this for a living, too." Chief Petty Officer Alex Peyton went next, asking, "Commander, what kind of weapons-on target are we looking at?" "Heavy weapons. These guys are narco-traffickers, so they can have anything from Soviet-bloc DShKs. They could have M2HP, .50-cals out there, we don't know. So if there is a weapons' emplacement up there, I suggest you guys bring rockets. Of course, rockets and foliage don't match, so make sure you got a clear shot. All right, what else?" Lucas leaned forward, looked around, and asked what everyone else was wondering. "Any idea whether she's ambulatory or not?" Alex Martin looked at him, knowing he was essentially asking if she were alive and whether or not the mission was worth anything other than putting them in danger. "There was a ton of blood on the scene, and a lot of it was Mr. Ross', we confirmed that. Miss Morales may have bled there, too, but these guys are savages, so you're gonna have to assume that she is non-ambulatory, so you're gonna have to bring stuff to carry her out." Lucas nodded, acknowledging. "All right boys. We infill via HALO jump and hit the ground approximately four clicks from the camp. Here's the team. Myself, Brett Stevens, Eric Barrett, Bradley Cooper, Jesse Lovett, Lucas Scott, Troy Bolton, Wade Kinsella, Scott Eastwood, Alex Peyton, Johnny Tuturro, Will Cloud, and Collin Lawrence. The rest of you will stay here and assist with antidrug trade ops or link up with SWCC to support our op with fire support." The men all nodded and the team was dismissed. "Add me to the list." A voice said. Lucas turned and saw Julian Baker standing in the back. "Julian! What are you doing here man?" "I transferred. Team 10 wanted a man on the op. They sent me." Lucas walked over and shook his hand. "It's good to have you brother. How's Peyton?" "Pregnant man. It's a boy." "No shit? Same here brother! Congrats!" Julian and Lucas both smiled. "Thanks Luke. So whatcha say we go kick some drug dealers ass?" "Hooyah!" The two walked out to begin getting ready. As they did, Luke began to think out loud. "Let's see, you started off with the Army Rangers, then switched branches and went SEALs, got to Team 10, and now you're with Team 6? You must suck at keeping a job." Julian laughed and shook his head. "Just trying all of my options before I get out." "Wait, you're going out?" "Yeah. This is my last tour. Dad offered me a job, and now that the baby's on the way, I think I'm gonna take it." Lucas nodded. "Well congrats man. Seems like everything's going your way!" "Roger that. Means something HAS to go wrong here soon." The two men laughed. "Isn't that the fucking truth." Lucas responded.

Around midnight the strike team, codenamed Blackbird, was in air and enjoy route to the drop zone. Lucas, who had shaved his head, sat in the plane all geared up, thinking about his family. Will Cloud leaned over from a few seats down and yelled at him, "Hey Chief, you gotta let us know who that guy is so when we get back, we can kick his ass!" Lucas looked up, startled and confused. "What guy?" "The guy that gave you that tucked up haircut!" The rest of the men busted out laughing and began to take cracks at one another. Alex Martin, who was sitting next to him, smacked his arm while laughing, but saw Lucas simply turn away. Alex felt bad for the SEAL, knowing that he was worried about getting home safe, his unborn son weighing heavenly on his mind. "Better make the rest of the guys shut up." At that moment, the green light turned red and the back of the plane opened, the wind whistling through the cargo bay where the SEALs sat. "Will!" Alex yelled, before putting his hand over his mouth to tell the men to out on their oxygen masks. The men all nodded and echoed the signal to one another, passing it down the line. As he and Lucas stood up at the front of the line and walked towards the open back of the C-130, Alex slapped Lucas on the shoulders, trying to cheer him up. "Hey brother, I bet the only thing better than this is being a dad. Well, other than the whole changing diapers thing, but I'm sure that you can get Brooke to do that." The two laughed before Lucas responded, "I'm actually looking forward to it." The pair put on their masks and bumped fists, then watched and waited for the light to turn from red to green. Then, with a loud noise, the light turned and the SEALs ran out of the back of the plane and disappeared into the black night.

Minutes later, the SEALs were in the camouflaged in the black jungle. The only noises that came from the night were the nocturnal animals that resided in the jungle. Lucas looked around to check and make sure that everyone was there before waving to Alex, who stood up and motioned the men to the edge of the clearing they had landed in. "Peyton, call it in." Alex whispered to Alex Peyton. "Yessir." After getting the base on the radio, Alex turned to Lucas. "We good to go Luke?" "Roger that. We have four clicks on three four three." "Take us out." "Yessir." With that, Lucas waved his hand and the SEALs all stood up and glided into the darkness.

Hours later, the SEALs arrived at their destination as the sun broke over the horizon. The small camp was tucked away in the Costa Rican forest, located on a small peninsula in the winding river. It was on the other side of the river, away from the compound, that the SEALs stopped to rest. "Here ahead of schedule." Peyton whispered to the rest of the team. "Roger that." Alex responded. "Lucas?" "Alpha squad is ready to head in. I'd like to take Julian and Lee if I can. I feel like we're stretched thin as it is." Julian shook his head. "I've got whiplash that I've gotta keep communicating with. We're in a good overwatch position. Lee is better on the long gun. We need to stay here." Lucas looked to Alex Martin, who shook his head and said, "You'll be fine with just Alpha." "Roger that sir." Out of nowhere, the men heard a woman's scream come from inside the perimeter. "Sir, we gotta move." "Roger that. Lee, set up. Alpha, head out. Bravo, spread out along the shoreline and provide cover. Let's go."

Minutes later, the team had breached the perimeter and was setting up to move inside the buildings. On Alex Peyton's signal, Lucas slid the door open and stealthily moved inside, followed by the rest of Alpha. They moved through several rooms and down a hallway, trying to find the CIA agent they had bent sent to rescue. All of a sudden, AK fire penetrated the wall, hitting Will Cloud (Luke Benward beard) in the face. That was when all hell broke loose.

Heavily armed soldiers for the drug kingpin rushed from two buildings next door. As the SEALs swept through the rest of the building, the woman's screaming got louder and the enemies became more skilled. However, soon, the fight was over, and Lucas was standing over the woman. Or rather, what was left of her. He made comms with Alex, saying, "Commander, we secured the package. Will's down, status to follow." "Roger that, package secured." Lucas turned and grabbed a blanket from the other end of the room and put it over the woman while assessing her injuries. The torture had destroyed her body in many ways. She was covered in bumps, bruises, cuts, burns, and holes. "Alex, she's not ambulatory. We're gonna have to walk her out." "Lucas, reinforcements are half a click down the road in five trucks. You need to exfil NOW." "Roger that sir. Be advised, we are exfilling the compound." "Roger that. Bravo will reconvene with Alpha at rally point alpha. Take the two Chevy's out front and get your asses in gear." Lucas slipped off of the comm and picked Lisa Morales up, taking her outside and setting her down gently in the truck bed. By then, the rest of Alpha had loaded up the two trucks. Lucas slapped the roof and yelled at Alex Peyton, "Get ready to cover us!" Peyton nodded and slipped a new clip into his rifle. "Roger that." With that, the drivers took off, narrowly missing the drug cartels reinforcements, who began to fire on the SEALs.

"Will ain't breathing Luke!" Troy yelled while he tried to resuscitate Will Cloud. "Keep trying!" Lucas yelled in between shots. The five vehicles had been joined by several more in their chase after the SEALs. "Alex, we need to take care of that lead vehicle and slow em down before we get to the rally point or Bravo is screwed." Alex Peyton nodded in response. "Roger that." Alex took slow, careful aim, before hitting the lead truck with his grenade launcher, promptly causing a massive explosion in the middle of the small dirt road, temporarily stopping the pursuit. The two trucks with the SEALs made it around the next bend and stopped. As they did, Bravo team melted out of the shadows and hopped in the trucks. As soon as they did so, the trucks were off and moving, desperate to outrun their pursuit force. Alex Martin quickly slid off his helmet and got on comms with the SWCC boats teams that were headed to pick the SEALs up. "Whiplash, this is Thunderbird. Be advised, we have burned our primary and secondary exfill points and are en route to the tertiary exfill. This will be a hot LZ. Repeat, this will be a hot LZ!" Alex turned off his comms and slapped a clip in his silenced MK11 while yelling at his team, "Get ready to get wet!"

It was then that Will, who hadn't been breathing, shot up, screaming. "OH FUCK! WHERE THE FUCK AM?!" Troy tried to calm him down, saying, "We're on an op brother. You gotta get down Will!" "I CAN'T FUCKING SEE!" Lucas stopped shooting and turned around to look at Will for the first time he had seen him since he had been shot. It wasn't pretty. The bandage that covered Will's face was covered in blood and more blood had begun to seep down the side of his face_. "Oh shit. This is bad. Really fucking bad."_ The world moved in slow motion as Lucas tried to figure out what to do, before feeling time catch back up with him as he grabbed Will's hand, yelling, "You took one to the face, you hardcore son of a bitch! You're a hard motherfucker Will!" "Did we get the package?" "Roger that. You're gonna be fine. Hang in there Will. You're gonna get through this son!"

Minutes later, the team was just a few hundred meters out from the exfill point, but the assault force had caught back up with them and was laying down heavy fire on the SEALs. Alex grabbed Lucas and yelled, "Get ready! We're fixing to hit water." "Roger that sir. Time to get our frogman on." "Roger that sir." With that, Alex went on comms and yelled, "WATER!" The men all yelled back and grabbed their rifles and gear, preparing for the inevitable. Seconds later, the trucks, almost simultaneously, slammed into the winding river. The men all quickly rolled out of the sinking tombs they had been in, with Lucas sliding into the backseat to grab Will and drag him out before exiting the sinking trucks. Right as the enemy vehicles pulled up, a loud roar came from around the river bend, and the SWCC boats came to the rescue, their many machine guns putting thousands of rounds on the enemy. Lucas, holding Will to his chest, swam to the back of the boat and pushed Will up before sliding into it himself. He laid on the ground and put his head back against the edge of the boat, utterly exhausted. It was then that Alex slapped him on the shoulder and showed him a cell phone that was recovered when they cleared the house. "It wasn't for nothing."

The next day, Lucas rolled out of his bed on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, the SEALs new base of operations for the deployment. He wiped his eyes, trying to knock out the tired. He grabbed his phone and walked out of his room and up a few flights of stairs to the deck. Outside, the sun was just starting to rise over the Pacific Ocean. Lucas dialed Brookes number and heard the line pick up quickly. "Lucas?" "Hey pretty girl." "Are you ok? You sound really tired." "Long night and day at the office the other day." The two chuckled at the comment before Lucas continued. "How's the baby? You getting morning sickness that bad yet?" Brooke groaned on the other end of the line. "Uhhhhh, you have no idea. And it's not just morning. It's in the afternoon now too!" "I'm sorry babe. Anything I can do?" "Get that mission over with and get the hell back to Tree Hill." Lucas scratched the back of his neck and didn't say anything. Brooke sighed. "They found something and extended your deployment, didn't they?" "Yeah…it's bad. I can't tell you, but the whole thing…it's worse than almost anything I could have imagined." "How long?" "A few more months at least. Hopefully not much more than that." "Just be safe Lucas." "I know Brooke. I will be. I love you baby girl." "I love you too Lucas." With that, the line clicked and Lucas, out on the tarmac with nothing but sweatpants on, began to feel tears slowly fall from his face.

"Hello?" Belle asked. Alex Peyton smiled before saying, "It's your favorite guy in the whole wide world." "Channing Tatum?" Belle asked jokingly. Alex deadpanned and responded, "You know, you aren't really that great at this whole starter relationship thing." He said jokingly. "Says the guy half a world away for who knows how long. BURN!" Alex rolled his eyes before responding, "Touché." "Seriously though, how long until you get home? Disney World is calling your name and its calling REALLY loud." "I don't know babe. I really don't. All I know is that it's probably going to be a little while. That's all I can say." Belle sighed. "This really sucks, you know that?" "I know. I'll be home soon." "Promise?" "I promise. Look, I know that you're about to go get dressed up and act like the Princess that you are to me, so I'll let you go, ok?" Belle blushed and nodded. "Ok. I love you." "Love you too."

Alex Martin found peace and quiet at the bow and dialed Alex Dupre's number. She picked up with a groggy "Whattttt?" "Alex?" "Alex? Is that you?" She asked, a little more alert but still clearly not with it. "Yeah babe. You ok?" "You just caught me at a bad time is all." Alex laughed out loud before asking, "How late were you up last night?" "I didn't go to sleep! There's some rock band playing next door and they played the entire night! I couldn't catch a wink!" "On the positive side, now you can empathize with me!" Alex growled into the phone. "I'd rather not. My sleep would be preferred." "I can always come and kill em babe." "DO IT! NOW! I beg of you, end my misery!" Alex laughed and rolled his eyes. "You know, it's amazing you don't get more rolls. You've nailed whole drama thing." Alex jokingly sneered into the phone. "Shut up…anyways, when are you coming home?" Alex shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." "And here I thought you were the officer in charge!" The two laughed. "Above my pay grade babe. Hey, how's the song writing coming?" "Pretty good actually! Thanks for asking." "Hey, send me a cd when you've got a few songs recorded, ok?" "I will babe. Be safe, ok?" "Will do. Love you Dupre." "Love you too."

Troy Bolton sat on the edge of his bed in his room. Troy was keeping to himself, reminiscing on two different things that had defined his life. The first was his fallen SEAL brothers. The second was the anniversary of his high school graduation. It had been thirteen years, to the day, since his life had completely turned upside down. It was in these moments that he thought back to his senior year and what had been the best year of his life. It was then that he looked back to Zeke, Jason, Ryan, Kelsi, Martha, Taylor, and even Sharpay, and missed the deep friendships that he had formed with them over the years. It was then that he missed Chad, his best friend growing up. It was then, especially, when he missed Gabriella, the love of his life. Troy put his head in his hands and felt the tears begin to come down his cheeks_. "Why the fuck did I let all of that go..."_ Troy heard his phone ring and shook off the tears and cleared his voice before answering, expecting it to be a call from JSOC informing him off his next op. "Go for Bolton." "Hey wildcat." Troy recoiled, the voice on the other end of the phone shocking him silent. "Gabriella?" He asked incredulously, not believing the voice on the other end of the voice. "Hey Troy." "I don't...I don't believe it. I can't believe that you called." There was a pause on the other end of the phone before Gabriella responded. "How are you?" "I'm, uh, doing ok. You?" "I'm doing well, thanks." There was an awkward pause before Troy asked, "Why'd you call Gabriella? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you did, but why?" "Troy, all of us, we were…talking. We miss you. We love you. We want you back in our lives. We…I, wanted to apologize to you. The last time we talked over a year ago, I told you I never wanted to see you again. I was so angry at you Troy, but I didn't think about you and why you were acting like you were. You had seen so much Troy, and I know that readjusting was hard for you, and I wasn't considerate of that. None of us were. We've all spent the last year missing you. We, I, want you back in our lives. We shouldn't have cut you out like we did. I'm sorry and so is everyone else. We want you back." There was a pause for a minute as Troy wiped tears from his eyes and tried to clear his choked voice. "You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear the Gabby. I'm sorry too. I said and did a lot of things that I never should have done, no matter what happened over there. That's no excuse to do what I did. I'm sorry too. I love you Gabriella, and I love them too. If y'all are willing to give me another chance, then I'll do my best to not let you down." Gabriella nodded, happy tears coming from her eyes. "Where are you, anyways?" "Sorry Gabby. Classified." Gabriella sighed. "This is never easy." "I know Gabby. Believe me, I know." "Do you at least know when you'll be back?" "Negative. You know how it is." "I know. Look, be safe and call me whenever you can, ok?" "I will. As soon as I get some intel, I'll let you know, ok?" "Ok. I love you Troy…I always have. I want this to work." "I do to Gabby. I love you." With that, the call ended and Troy, now standing out on the deck, pumped his fist in the air and yelled "YESSSSSS!"

Brett, dressed in full battle gear, was skyping with his wife Taylor. "Hey baby." She smiled, her blonde hair shimmering in the Nashville morning sun. "Hey Brett. How are you doing?" "I'm good, I'm good. How's Adam and Anna?" Taylor pulled their two little kids onto her lap. "They're great. Can you two say hi to daddy?" "Hi Daddy!" The two five year olds yelled. Brett smiled wide. "How are my two little munchkins?" "We're great daddy!" Adam yelled. Anna yelled, "Daddy, we're going to vbs tomorrow!" "You're going to vbs?! Are you excited to see all your friends?!" "YES YES YES YES YES!" The two children screamed and their parents laughed. "Hey kiddos, can you lemme talk to mommy for a second?" The two nodded and screamed, "I LOVE YOU!" He laughed again and said, "I love y'all too." They ran off and left him and Taylor alone. "You look beautiful babe." She blushed and said, "Thank you Brett. Are you ok? You seem a little off." He shook his head, yawning, "Had a long day." "You know when you're gonna be home?" "Negative. I'll let you know when I do though." "Ok. I love you babe. I'm about to head to the studio, so I'll call you later, ok?" "Ok. Love you babe." "Love you too."

Alex walked into the op room and found Lucas looking over op plans on a touchscreen computer table. "Hey, Chief, what's the status on Will?" "He's definitely gonna need surgery to fix his cheekbone and some other bones in his face, but he's... he's hanging tough." Commander Mack Montana (Liam Neeson) walked into the op room and began speaking to the two men, "Hey, I'm gonna get right into this. Great job smoke-checking those assholes and getting Morales back. It's a bum deal for Will, but I gotta tell you what, that was solid work. So, Chief, you make sure you get that down to the boys right away. You hear me?" Lucas nodded, "Check." "All right. Now, Morales, Morales was one tough chick, but she should've gotten the stuff up the chain a lot faster...because this thing is way bigger than we thought it was." Alex, puzzled, asked, "How is that? I thought this was a cut-and-dry AMCIT recovery." "Yeah, it was until we got into that phone that you guys picked up in that shithole. It turned me on to something that just does not look right at all." "And what's not right about it?" "Christo and Shabal are a lot closer than I thought they were, and Shabal is a wild card, man. He is an old-school jihadi that couldn't give a rat's ass about money or drugs. Yeah, and his childhood friend, Christo, the dope dealer? He is not a dealer, man. He's a smuggler." Lucas shook his head. _"He wants to get into the United States…he wants to hit us at home_. You have got to be kidding me." "That is exactly what I'm thinking. Shabal wants to kill Americans. Christo knows how to get fuckers inside America. This could be big trouble in little China, fellas. They're gonna hit us at home. I just got done talking to the boss and the Spec Ops Task Force, and this is what's gonna go down. I need Ajay and Ray standing by to launch for an SR in two hours. They're gonna get some frequent flyer miles on the way to Africa." "Why Africa?" "We pinned an airfield there with that phone that you got, and I think that Shabal is gonna be there doing a weapons transfer on his way west." Lucas shook his head, asking, "When you say "west," what are we talking about, Mexico west?" "Yeah, Mexico west. That's worst-case scenario. You two and the rest of the platoon are gonna stay here on standby, run a few anti-drug ops in South America, coordinating with Army Rangers and Marine Force Recon. You'll be the primary assault force in case something goes down anywhere near America." The two men nodded in response to their C.O. "You gonna be around for any questions as they come up?" Lucas asked. "No, man. Christo... he pulled a Roman Polanski on my ass and disappeared. So I'm gonna link up with SEAL Team Four, and we're gonna go hunt his ass down in the South Pacific. So it's straight up Mai Tais and palm trees for me, baby." The three men laughed and Alex and Lucas slapped handshakes with their commander. "Yeah, brother. Go get him." Alex said. "You be cool." Mack responded. "Take it easy." Lucas said. "Good luck with that baby, Chief." With that, the Commander walked out of the op room and to the chopper waiting for him on the deck. Lucas, chuckling, turned to Alex and asked, "Does everybody know?" Alex held his hands up in surrender and said, "Only the important people." "The important people to who? You?" "I guess so." The two men laughed before Alex said, "I'm gonna go brief the boys." "Hey, hold on one second." Lucas pulled a letter out of his pocket, "Hey, brother, I've never written one of these before…" "Hey, I'm tracking with you, Luke. I am. But, to be honest with you, I was thinking of calling the command and trying to get you home. But now that work's picked up so much, I feel like we really need you here. You remember that deployment to Al Anbar?" "Yeah." "When you had that final turnover op, and you said I didn't need to be there? I was lying in bed and I realized the only thing I needed to do now was go home. But if something went south on your op, I would always regret not being there with you. I appreciate you taking care of me big-time Alex, but I'm working some things with the brass. If I can, and things slow down, I'm gonna get some time off." "Well, I hope it works out either way. I really do. But, if it doesn't, I'm gonna take this piece of paper, and I'm gonna make it into a nice paper airplane." The two men laughed and Lucas smacked Alex on the back of the head. "Beat it sir." "Roger that."

Brooke walked into Karen's Café and put on an apron, smiling and saying, "Thank you so much for covering for me Haley." "It's fine Brooke. How was the doctor?" "It was really good! Baby is healthy…or should I say…babies?" Haley's hands went to her mouth, before she grabbed Brooke in a hug and screamed. "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD BROOKE DAVIS YOU'RE HAVING TWINS?!" Brooke and Haley both squealed and the rest of the people within the crowded café clapped and cheered. "Have you told Lucas yet?" "I got off the phone with him this morning before I went to the doctor. I'll tell him soon." "I'm so happy for you Brooke. So so so so so happy." "Thanks Hales. Did Alex get a hold of you this morning?" "He did. He said he called Quinn and Alex too." "How is he?" "Stressed and tired like every deployment, but he seems to be doing somewhat alright." "Good." The door rang as it opened and Quinn walked in, happy as a lark. "Hey guys!" "Hey Quinny. Why so happy?" "Date night with Clay was amazing and I got a call from Alex this morning, so you could say I've had a pretty good twenty-four hours." Brooke smiled. "I'm glad Quinn." "So have you heard that BROOKE IS HAVING TWINS?!" Haley yelled. "WHAT?! Oh my god Brooke I'm so happy for you!" "Thanks Quinn." The three continued in conversation, happy as could be. _"This is how it's supposed to be. All I need is Lucas to be here and everything would be perfect…"_


	35. Chapter 32

June 23rd, 2015

Brooke walked into the guest room of Claudia Joy Holden's house to hugs and congratulations from the army wives that had become sisters to her through their trials together. After she had told Lucas and her closest friends and family, the first people that she had called were the Army Wives. Claudia Joy, wife of General Holden, invited her to sit down in between her and Roxy LeBlanc. "How are you feeling?" She asked after Brooke sat down. Brooke smiled and said, "A little bit of morning sickness. Other than that, not a whole lot of anything." "What are you hoping for?" Roxy asked. "A boy. I'd be perfectly happy with either, but Lucas and I both want a first born son. A protector. Someone to look after the rest of our children as they come." "Speaking of, how does Lucas feel?" "It was hard to read. He seemed happy and then sad, but that was right before he deployed." Claudia Joy shook her head. "I heard about Team 6 being pulled out of country. I'm sorry Brooke." "Do you have any idea where they are?" Claudia Joy shook her head. "No one does. Rumor has it their working with OGA. If that's true…we won't know until they come home, if then." "OGA?" "Other government agency. Code for the CIA." "Why are they working with the CIA?" "You can't know Brooke." Pamela responded. "This type of thing happens to Chase all the time. He'll just get a call and disappear. That's how it happens sometimes. That's just how it is when your husband does what he does." "I know. It's just hard to deal with during times like this." Brooke squeezed the pain out of her voice and deflected the attention, asking Denise, "Denise, how are you doing? You're coming up on seven years to the day since Jeremy was killed." Denise nodded. "I'm doing OK Brooke. I just take it one day at a time. Having Frank home more often helps." "Are the Rangers putting him on the home front more often now?" "Yes. He's working directly with General Holden most of the time these days." "They make a great pair." Claudia Joy chimed in. "How's Trevor doing Rox?" Brooke asked. "He's good, actually. He got back from a deployment in Kandahar province about three months ago. He's just been training and studying for promotion board. It's been nice to have him back around." "I bet." Claudia Joy chuckled. "You're so easy to love Brooke, you know that? All you care about are others. Lucas is lucky to have a wife like you." Brooke blushed at the comment. "Thanks girls. I appreciate that. So very much." "We need to throw you a baby shower!" Rox exclaimed all of a sudden. The rest of the wives chimed in, excitedly voicing their agreement. Brooke laughed and tried to slow down the wives, but there was no stopping them. Finally, after a few minutes of arguing, Brooke relented, laughing and nodding. "Fine, yes, okay! We can have a baby shower!" The women all cheered in response, making Brooke smile. "These women are my family. My support group…they're the best."

After the ladies talked for a few more hours, Brooke decided it was time for her to get on the road and back to Tree Hill. After bidding the women a happy but tearful goodbye, Brooke got on the road. As soon as she had driven off, she called Payton. After a few rings, her best friend picked up with a perky, "Hey!" "Hey bitch!" "You are a terrible excuse for a bestfriend, you know that?" The two girls laughed. "Duhhhhhh. You act like that is something new. You've known that since high school!" The two girls laughed again before Brooke asked, "So how are you doing? How's the baby?" "It's going okay. Morning sickness is a bitch, but that's a small price to pay for this bundle of joy inside of me." "So are you ready for your son in a few months?" "So ready. Julian's gonna be a great father. It's his dream too, to have a first born son. Someone that he can raise to be a strong man, a good man. It's amazing how great he's been. It's going to be even better when he's home for good in a few months." "He's coming home for good?!" "Yeah! His dad offered him a job working with the stunt guys and some of the action from the movies or something like that. He wanted a real life operator to work with the actors since he's starting to write more action based and real life war movies. Julian said he wasn't going to reenlist. He said that it was his time." "I'm happy for you Payton. I really am." "He's finishing out his deployment with Team 6, with Lucas. He's really happy Brooke. Everything is working out so great." "I'm so so so so so so so so happy for you! Everything is going your way." "It is. It really is. It's gonna be the same way for you too Brooke. I promise."

Belle walked off the stage after one final bow, and a standing ovation, and quickly began to take off her costume, tears falling down her cheeks. The previous night had been a tough one, with Belle spending it on her bed, curled up, crying her eyes out. Though she had braved the day and made it through her performances at Disney World, she had only hung on by a thread. As she threw on her street clothes and rushed out of the dressing room and to her car in the employees only parking lot behind the park, she felt the need to talk to someone. It was then that she called Brooke.

Soon after she got off of the phone with Payton, Brooke heard her phone ring again. _"Well I'm Mrs. Popular today, aren't I?_ Hello?" Brooke heard sniffles on the other end of the line from a familiar voice. "Hey Brooke?" "Belle? Are you crying? Honey, what's wrong?" "I don't know! I just can't stop thinking about Alex! Every time I think about him I have to hold back tears Brooke! I can't reach him at all, I think I've talked to him twice all month! I just…it hurts all the time Brooke. I feel so alone. I'm not strong enough to do this Brooke." "First of all, you have to calmmmmmmm down Belle. You're working yourself up, which never helps. Calm down for me, ok?" Over the phone, Brooke heard the breaths slow and the sobbing turn to small sniffles. "Okay, I'm calm." "Good. Now, I know it's hard to understand, but they can't talk to us much more than that. They just can't. Whatever they're doing, wherever they are, they're running ops day and night and are out of reach ninety-five percent of the time. That's just the facts. It sucks, but that's just how it is. I know it's hard. I know that you're spending most of your time thinking about him. I know that as soon as you start to think about him you start thinking the worst. Believe me, I remember. But here's what I can tell you. Alex Peyton is one of the best SEALs on one of the best SEAL teams. He's going to be alright! You have to believe that. And listen here honey, you ARE strong enough to do this. I know you're down there and there's not a whole lot of support from people around you because they don't understand, but you have to know you ARE strong enough and when you're not, all of us are here. We love you and will be strong enough for you, okay?" She sniffled over the phone, but nodded. "Okay." "Better now?" "I am." "Alright honey. I love you. I'll see you soon, okay?" "Okay. Love you too." With that, the call clicked off, and Brooke smiled to herself. _"I'm getting better at this."_

Cristo's boat cruised the South Pacific, along with its escort of small watercraft. The luxurious yacht was donned with ornate fixtures and scantily clad women. Within the depths of the boat sat Cristo, who was reading War and Peace, sipping a strong liquor. On the beautiful mahogany coffee table in front of him sat a Newton's cradle, which hadn't moved in a period of time. Then, out of nowhere, a soft sound echoed through the hull, and the Newton cradle moved, the motion moving back and forth softly. Cristo looked up and looked out, sighing, knowing the game was over. Then, out of nowhere, a massive explosion rocked the boat as one of the escort boats was blown to kingdom come, and Navy blackhawks flew in. On one of those blackhawks was Lt. Commander Alex Martin, who had joined Commander Mack Montana to search for Cristo. The Blackhawk that held him and his fellow SEALs came to hover over the deck of the yacht and the SEALs all quickly roped down to the deck and cleared the yacht. A short minute later, the firefight was over and Alex walked down to the immaculate dining area to find Cristo, who had been tied to a chair by the SEALs. Alex spoke, saying, "Can you cut him loose, please? If you get cut loose, you're not gonna do anything crazy, are you? A Crazy Ivan? So to speak. So you're Russian, yeah?" "Yes, I am." "You all right?" "Yes, I'm good. Thank you." "You're welcome." "I'm sorry. I don't know your name." "I'm Alex." Alex said, reaching across to shake Cristo's hand. "Alex." "Yes. And you are? Nice to meet you by the way." "Christo." "Crisco?" "Christo." "Troskawicz?" "Correct." "You're sitting on a wonderful boat. It's fabulous." "Thank you. Yes. I believe it's called Starship. "Starship. I love the way you say Starship. It's like Russian. That guy, uh... Star Trek. What's his name, Scotty? Oh, no, he was, sorry, Scott." Cristo shook his head, saying, "I wouldn't know. "You've never seen Star Trek?" "No." "Oh, that's insane. So here's the problem, pal. You're worth a lot of money. Or you were worth a lot of money." Cristo smirked, and responded, "I believe I still am." "You do?" "Yes." "All right. Let me tell you how the world works there, Crisco." "It's Christo." "Sorry?" Alex asked, pretending to not understand Cristo, as to get into his head." "Christo." Cristo pronounced, slightly angry. "Oh, of course. Sorry. Let me tell you how the world really works. This is no longer your boat. Since I walked through that door, you're not the same guy you used to be. You're just not. There's nothing I can do to stop that, nothing I can do to help you right now, unless you let me help you. We need to do this together, pal. You and me." Alex opened a file that contained all kinds of information on Cristo and asked, "So how is it that you're working with these jihadi folks, then? You're Jewish, right? Shabal is what?" Cristo sighed and looked at Alex, before asking, "You got a friend, like, you grew up with?" "Sorry?" "Have you ever had a friend that you grew up with? Had, like, played interests, played soccer, or...what would you play? Baseball, probably, right?" "Probably. Yeah." "Yeah. And then you went on your separate ways, and then some years later, you meet up. And you totally didn't recognize the person. And that's what happened with Shabal. We share a common interest. So he came up with this incredible idea because of his beliefs. I don't necessarily share his beliefs, but he's a smart guy. You know, it's almost like..." Cristo looked around and saw the Newton's cradle and pushed a ball, causing the balls to start the infinite ricochet. "It's almost like...like this is me." He said, pointing to one end, before pointing to the other. "And that's Shabal." "Is it?" Alex asked, his voice tight. "And America is in-between." "Is it?" Cristo looked up, smirking, as if he had just put the United States into a checkmate. "Yeah. Cool concept, no?" "Right here?" Alex asked, pointing to the cradle." "Yes." Alex nodded, his voice and facial expression tight. Images of Quinn, Alex, Brooke, Lucas, all of his friends and family, both in Tree Hill and Bluebell, flashed through his head, before he lost his cool. He stood up and slammed the cradle across the room before flipping the table over. "You think this is some kind of game? Do you? Do you find this amusing?" "No. No. I'm not finding-" "Do you realize what you're doing here?" "The only people I answer to is my family. To my wife and to my child. And nobody else." Alex looked down at the watch on his wrist. "Running late somewhere?" Cristo asked. Alex responded by yelling, "Shit filter's full!" "Really?" "Yeah. So here's the problem, pal. You do love your family, don't you?" "Yes, I do." "And what about your daughter? Are you looking forward to seeing her again?" "Every minute of my life." Alex pulled out his phone and showed a recon video that had been taken of Cristo while playing with his daughter. "I wanted you to see that so that you'd think about some things very seriously, because you're gonna be sitting in a box somewhere. You'll be treated properly and humanely. That girl is gonna grow up, and she's gonna get married, and your wife is gonna find someone else, and you're gonna miss everything. If I had done something that would endanger my family, I would feel just like you do right now." Cristo put his head in his hands and began to shake. Soon, however, he looked up, asking "You promise not to touch my family?" "I would never touch your family." "I would not." "Are you familiar with ceramic ball bearings?" "No." "Just imagine 16 suicide vests filled with those ceramic ball bearings, slipping by every metal detector and every checkpoint in your country. You think your economy is fucked now? Just think what the media is gonna do with this. Hm? It's gonna make 9/11 look like a fucking walk in the park. The grand Central Park." Alex shook his head, visibly shaken. "So you're telling me...there's 16 jihadis wearing suicide vests. They're gonna walk right across the border. So where are they going?" "San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Charlotte, New York, Charleston, you pick a city, they'll be there. And this is happening now?" "It's happening as we speak." "How can you stop this?" Cristo looked Alex right in the eyes and said, "Don't you see?...I can't."


	36. Chapter 33

(A/N: The Act of Valor original motion picture score has a lot of good scores that set the mood in this chapter. It helps for visualization for me. Also, Act of Valor is a great movie that the last few chapters are based on. You can youtube these final few scenes as their based almost completely on the movie.)

June 23rd, 2015- 2300 Hours

Alex Martin walked into the briefing room on the USS Bonhomme Richard to a chorus of greetings from the SEALs that were still on station and hadn't been reassigned to various ops within CENTCOM. "Morning boys. Alright Lucas, give some daily wisdom." Lucas stood up and cleared his throat, while opening his notebook, before reading, "Robert Heinlein once wrote, Fulfillment in life involves loving a good woman and killing a bad man." Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Fuck yeah. Couldn't have said it better myself. Alright boys, here's the sitrep. Will Grayson (Chase Bryant) and Collin Lawrence (Hunter Hayes) went on a recon op near the coast of Libya. We ID'd Shabal and two planes that he used. Shabal brought sixteen Filipino targets with him. Now, one of the planes that we tagged just landed in Mexicali. We believe that he has activated his endgame. Shabal is working with Cristo, who as y'all know, is a drug smuggler. If Shabal and his fellow terrorists hit Cristo's network, they're as good as gone. If we lose them gentlemen, thousands could die and the country could be plunged into chaos. We HAVE to hit them, copy?" "Roger that." The men all responded. "We're going to coordinate with Delta Force and the Marines will be our QRF. Our callsign is Blackbeard. Gear up. We exfill in thirty."

June 24th, 2015- 0100 Hours

Multiple Blackhawk helicopters glided over the last of the Pacific Ocean and onto the Mexicali coast. The choppers quickly set down, just beyond the beach, with the SEAL fireteam exiting quickly and silently. In a matter of seconds, the choppers were gone and the night was silent, as it had been before. After a few minutes were spent in cover, making sure that they hadn't been seen, Alex got on the radio, calling out, "Blackbeard main, this is Blackbeard actual. We're starting our approach to the target. ETA is ten mikes." "Roger that Blackbeard Actual." Alex got off the radio and waved his hand, signaling the team to stand up and move out. With that, the SEALs stood up and glided into the darkness.

Minutes later, the SEALs arrived to their target, just outside of a village on the Mexicali coast. Alex signaled to his men to split off into two columns. One column, led by Alex, had Brett Stevens, Eric Barrett, Jim Halpert (John Krasinski 13 Hours), Jesse Lovett (Luke Bryan), Wade Kinsella, and Johnny Tuturro. The other, led by Lucas, had Julian, Troy Bolton, Bradley Cooper, Scott Eastwood, Alex Peyton, and Collin Lawrence (Hunter Hayes). Lucas's column moved into the town, stealthily checking through the houses full of sleeping people, trying to find the terrorists. Alex's column went around the edge of town, trying to find an overwatch position.

Alex quickly found an overwatch position and radioed, "Blackbeard Lead, containment element is set." Lucas nodded and radioed back, "Roger." With that, Lucas waved his men forward and through the houses in the dead of night. The men moved quietly, the only sounds being that of a lone dog barking and people moving in their sleep. But with every house they moved through, Lucas felt his stomach tighten and his danger senses heighten. Lucas radioed Julian quietly, saying, "Stay sharp. I don't like this." "Roger." He responded, before opening the door and stepping into a room with an old woman…who was awake. She screamed out, "CARLOS! THE DOOR! HELP ME!" Hearing that, Lucas whipped to his right to find a sleeping man jolt awake and grab for his AK47. "Gun gun gun!" He yelled before pulling the trigger and shooting the man through the head. "Move move move!" Lucas ordered, pushing his men out of the house and down the dirt street to find cover.

Alex, hearing the gunshots and seeing the SEALs run out, grabbed Eric and Brett and moved into the town to support Lucas, while calling their air support, "Rat Pack, this is Blackbeard. We're in contact, midtown, south of the church." Alex slid into cover next to Lucas and aimed at a screaming woman who was running down the street. Seeing that she was a noncombatant, he moved his aim away from her, relaxing for a split second before seeing flashes and hearing multiple gunshots from down the street. "Contact!" Lucas yelled as the SEALs began to open fire on the cartel members that were shooting at them. Alex, looking behind to make sure they weren't flanked, saw two figures appear behind a wall before they too began to fire at the SEALs. "Contact!" He yelled as he and his half of the team began to shoot back at the men. "Blackbeard Lead, what's your pos?" Jim Halpert asked. Alex responded, "Overwatch, you're clear to engage." "Going hot." With that, Jim and those with him opened up with their M249 machine guns and took down about ten hostiles that had been trying to sneak around the SEALs by using a bus for cover. Jim got on the radio again and said, "Alex, I've got two squirters heading south in a pickup truck." "Roger that. Rat Pack, take em down." With that, the Blackhawks flew in and used their machine guns to take down the truck, causing it to explode and vaporize the two enemies inside. Alex, satisfied, turned back to his firing lane to find a man with an RPG taking aim at the truck he was taking cover behind. "RPG!" He screamed as he dove away from the massive explosion that enveloped the truck, before turning to see Lucas take the man down. "Lucas, last house by the church. Go." Lucas nodded and grabbed Julian before ordering the rest of his squad to consolidate and set up a perimeter.

Lucas and Julian quickly moved up to the house at the end of the street, right next to the church. Lucas, again feeling the prickly danger feeling, shoved it down and checked the house out as best he could before moving in. After satisfying himself, he nodded to Julian, stacked up by the doorframe, and slid inside. As soon as he turned left, he found a man with an RPG, who fired it as soon as he laid eyes on Lucas. From that moment, everything seemed to slow down and the sounds all seemed to echo. Lucas slid left, avoiding the rocket, and pulled the trigger six times, hitting the man each time and subsequently killing him. Lucas turned around to find Julian looking at his chest…where the unexploded rocket was stuck to his vest. "Julian? Julian? Julian? You alright?" Julian shook off the daze and nodded, saying, "Yeah." Lucas hoisted Julian to his feet and grabbed the rocket. "Good thing this was a dud. I might've gotten hurt." Julian drilled Lucas in the arm, causing Lucas to laugh, before they went over to the lit workbench, where they found one of the vests. "This is not some bush-league vest from an Iraqi hut. This is some high-speed shit." Julian said. Lucas nodded before saying, "Maybe we should put this somewhere else, huh?"

Five minutes later, after having secured the target and heard from Lucas the story about Julian, Alex was about to radio for extract when Lt. Pete Maverick Mitchell (Tom Cruise Top Gun) came on the comms, saying, "Actual, mission not complete. Stand by for follow-on. You only got half that jihadist cell." Lucas came up and reported, "Sir, the target's secure." "Negative, this fight isn't over yet." Alex responded before hearing Maverick come back on and report, "Now, listen, the other half of that cell is gonna be crossing the border using a tunnel network from Mexicali at 0600. We're coordinating with State, but for now the birds will drop you off outside the city. I'll give you more details en route. Actual, how do you copy?" "Roger main." He looked at Lucas and said, "Rally the team. We're headed in to finish this off."

June 24th, 2015- 0500 Hours

Hours later, the men were flying into a border town in the Blackhawks. Lucas got on the radio, speaking to the squad as Alex attempted to get more details from state. "Alright, here's the sitrep. Half of the cell is holed up in a milk factory right next to the border, underneath which is a tunnel used by Christo. Now, the drug traffickers' tunnel splits off, so if we don't hit them now and they disappear, American lives will be shed. We HAVE to get them and we have to get them now. We're flying in blind and dropping in hot. The terrorists are protected by the local cartel and this is the cartel's territory. We will have no support, understand? We're the only thing that can stop them." The SEALs all nodded and went back to checking their mags and getting last little bits of shut eye. Lucas gestured at Julian to switch to channel two, where he said, "Hey, this tempo keeps up like this, Payton's gonna be squeezing that kid out on her own. However, we hit this target quick enough, you jump on a burro and ride that shit home." The two laughed before Julian responded, "Nah brother, that's not gonna be necessary. I just checked my email on the way in. Payton's gone into labor." "No shit?! Congratulations brother!" Julian smiled. "thanks Luke. Looks like it's gonna be noisier at home than it is with you assholes." "Fuck yeah man." Alex interrupted them, going over comms and yelling, "One minute!"

The Blackhawks came at the milk factory and settled down before any of the cartel members knew what was going on. The SEALs quickly hopped out and moved towards the main door, taking cover behind flatbed trucks as the choppers lifted off and headed for the skies. The cartel did not stay surprised much longer. Soon, over fifty men were taking aim at the SEALs and unleashing hell on their cover. Alex yelled at Lucas, saying, "Grab some guys and move in! We can't stay in cover for much longer!" Lucas nodded and grabbed Julian, Troy, and Alex Peyton to join Alex, Eric, and Brett. They all stacked up on a side door and used an explosive charge to blow it to bits and pieces. As soon as the explosion had gone off, the SEALs were turning the corner and heading inside.

The SEALs quickly encountered heavy resistance from more cartel members. Alex, who took point, was followed by Lucas, and as the two cleared each room in front of them, they encountered more and more resistance. Finally, after moving through four or five rooms, they were pinned down behind a wall. Alex yelled to Lucas as he gestured the rest of the men to cover, "If we loop around this wall and go through that small cargo bay over there, I think we can get behind these guys!" "Roger, moving!" Lucas yelled back. The two slid forward and rounded the wall to the cargo bay, to find a young woman standing in the middle. The young woman struck Lucas. She was Filipino, and a beautiful one at that, but her expression was one that was a mix of pain and fear, with a lone tear sliding down her face. Then Lucas looked down, and saw that she was wearing a vest. "BOMB!" He screamed, as he ran backwards, throwing both him and Alex behind the wall. No sooner had he done that then a massive explosion went off, preceded by hundreds of little clay balls that flew faster than bullets.

The two men stood up and ran back into the room. There was no trace of the woman, only a massive crater and fires that lurked in the edges of the room. "Move." Alex said, trying to refocus the team. Lucas pulled himself up and motioned Julian in lime behind him. "Lets go guys, let's move, let's really move!" He said. They came to a door and stacked up on it. Alex spoke, saying, "The tunnel is just beyond here. Get ready. Breaching." With that, Alex slid the door open and the team moved in.

The two men stood up and ran back into the room. There was no trace of the woman, only a massive crater and fires that lurked in the edges of the room. The two men did their best to shake off the sight and move on, each splitting up to cover separate adjoined corridors. Seconds ticked by and the corridors were cleared, finished by Lucas and Julian turning corners to find their M4's pointed at one another. "Damn it Chief, now how would I explain that one to my family?" Julian asked, half joking half serious. Lucas gestured behind him as he turned and said, "Get behind me so you don't have to." The two men moved to the last hallway before the tunnels and prepared to breach. Lucas gave Alex's shoulder a squeeze and the men were moving, turning the corner and walking down the short hallway into one last cargo bay before the tunnels. Lucas moved past Alex and quickly cleared half of the room, yelling, "Clear!" He was followed by Alex, who was followed by Julian, who was followed by Alex Peyton, Troy, Eric, and Brett.

What none of them saw was the last defender before the tunnels. The Filipino radical was perched on a rickety wood construction platform above the SEALs, concealed from sight. The sick man wanted to kill Americans, and he finally had found his chance. Clinging to his last grenade, he pulled the pin, and as he offered a soft prayer to Allah, he softly dropped the grenade to the floor below.

The world seemed to fall into slow motion as the grenade hit the floor with a soft ping. Ears still ringing from the explosions and the massive firefight, none of the SEALs heard the grenade hit the floor. None that is, save for Julian. The young man took one look at the men in front and another at the men behind, but his decision had already been made. "Grenade!" He yelled as he flung himself on top of it. The rest of the SEALs immediately flattened against the wall, as their training had taught them. It wasn't a split second later that the grenade exploded, lifting Julian off several feet off of the ground before he came back down with a hard thud.

Lucas, who had turned his head away, turned it back amidst blinking out the dust that had risen in a cloud from the explosion, to find Julian lying on the floor, a pool of blood already beginning to stream out from his torso. Time seemed to have no hold and sound didn't exist as Lucas rushed over to his teammate, his screams mute to his own ears. "Julian! Julian! Julian!" He found himself screaming when he finally began to hear again, as he shook the man, looking into his eyes, silently pleading for him to be alright. But Lucas knew there was no hope. He had seen the life drain out of the eyes of too many men in his life. He knew what a dying man looked like. He knew that Julian was gone.

"Chief, I got him!" Lucas heard Alex Peyton yell. Lucas nodded and immediately took off for the tunnel, chasing after Shabal. Alex Martin yelled at him to slow down, but there was no stopping Lucas, who knew that catching and killing Shabal would be the only thing that would even come close to justifying Julian's fate. Lucas turned the final corner to a hailstorm of fire. Lucas immediately began to pull the trigger, hitting one man and forcing the other two into cover. But one of those men popped back up just as Lucas ran out of bullets. Lucas felt the force of the first bullet throw him back. Then the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth as Shabal unloaded the rest of the magazine from his AK47 on Lucas. Finally, as the last bullets, hit, Lucas hit the wall and slid down, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Lucas's vision had already begun to go spotty, with darkness dancing on the edge of his vision. But the mission was still on his mind, as he grabbed his sidearm, knowing, _"I have three shots left in my mag. One guy with a vest. Three shots."_ Lucas pulled his arm up and took aim at the tunnel, knowing that the terrorist was about to make a break for it. Sure enough, the terrorist stood up and began to run for all he was worth. Lucas leveled his arm and pulled the trigger. _"One."_ He pulled the trigger again_. "Two."_ He pulled the trigger one last time. As the hammer and slide cocked back, signaling that he was out, the terrorist dropped_. "Three."_

Lucas looked at his pistol. _"Gotta reload."_ However, Lucas, barely able to stay awake and pull a trigger, much less use motor functions, hit the release and watched the clip hit the ground with a solid thud. On the other side of the room, Shabal heard this and snapped up, fury, rage, in his eyes. Lucas looked up and made eye contact as the terrorist began to walk towards him with his AK47 pointed at him. Lucas frantically tried to put the clip in, knowing that otherwise, the end was near. Shabal finally stood over him and was about to pull the trigger, when out of nowhere, multiple shots rang out, hitting Shabal and knocking him backwards. Alex Martin moved into the room, his rifle up as he unloaded his entire clip into the chest of the monster.

Alex rushed over and grabbed at Lucas, trying to keep him awake, but Lucas was beginning to slip. Sound was in a vacuum, reverberating and echoing, as Lucas heard Alex call, "Assault Two, this is Assault One. Be advised, tunnel is secure and all threats are neutralized. Lucas and Julian are down. I say again, Lucas and Julian are down." In the next room, Julian heard the gunshots end, and as he looked towards where Lucas ran off to, he saw his Payton coming towards him, shrouded in a white light. With that, he blinked one last long time and closed his eyes forever.

(A/N: Listen to "Engles Legacy" by Nathan Furst from the Act of Valor soundtrack)

June 28th, 2015

On the eight-year anniversary of Operation Red Wings, the first major operation with the SEALs that Lucas had participated in and the deadliest day in the history of the SEALs, Lucas pulled the Julian's American flag covered coffin out of the back of a hearse and helped, along with Alex Peyton, Brett, Eric, Troy, and Alex Martin, carry Julian to his final permanent duty station. His final resting place. Despite the intense pain from his many gunshot wounds, Lucas wouldn't have had anyone else carry the coffin in his stead. The many SEALs in attendance stood as the Navy SEAL chaplain prayed, "Dear FATHER IN HEAVEN, If I may respectfully say so sometimes you are a strange God. Though you love all mankind, It seems you have a special predilections too. You seem to love those men who can stand up alone who face impossible odds, who challenge every bully and every tyrant, those men who know the heat and loneliness of a Calvary. Possibly you cherish men of this stamp because you recognize the mark of your only son in them. Since this unique group of men known as the SEALs know Calvary and suffering, teach them now the mystery of the resurrection ~ that they are indestructible, that they will live forever because of their deep faith in you. And when they do come to heaven, may I respectfully warn you, Dear Father, they also know how to celebrate. So please be ready for them when they insert under your pearly gates. Bless them, their devoted Families and their Country on this glorious occasion. We ask this through the merits of your Son, Christ Jesus the Lord, Amen." "Amen." The people all repeated.

Throughout the service, Lucas, along with the rest of the SEALs, found themselves brought to tears. As they watched flag be folded, as the heard the twenty-one gun salute, and as they watched Alex Martin walk up to Payton and present her with her husband's flag. "On behalf of the President of the United States... and a grateful nation, I present you this flag in recognition of your husband's heroic achievements. You have my deepest condolences." After presenting her with the flag, he reached in his back pocket to pull out a letter. "One final gift for you, and now a final gift for your son. Again, my deepest condolences." Payton nodded through the tears and kissed Alex on the cheek before he stood up, saluted the flag, turned, and returned to his post.

Taps began to play, and the most emotional part of the SEALs funeral began. One by one, the many SEALs in attendance walked out of formation and up to the casket, unpinned their trident, and slammed it into the casket with their fist. Doing so released the pent up emotions for many of the SEALs, and Alex, Lucas, Alex Peyton, Troy, Eric, and Brett all cried, amongst others, as they did so.

Finally, the service ended and everyone left. All except for Lucas, Alex, Brooke, and Payton. "I love you BFF." Brooke said through the tears as she hugged her best friend. "I love you to Brooke Davis." "Know that I'm here for you whenever." "I know Brookie. I know." They tearfully hugged one last time and Brooke walked back to Lucas to give him a kiss, before saying, "I'm gonna wait in the car and give you a minute." Still choked up, Lucas simply nodded. "Thank you both for loving my husband." Payton said after a minute, breaking the silence. "He wouldn't have wanted to go out either way. Know that I love the two of you and that I don't blame you or the SEALs for what happened to Julian. I can take comfort knowing that he died with his brothers." With that, she kissed each of them on the cheek and went to join her family, leaving the two SEALs and bestfriends alone with Julian. "So many men have died under my watch." Alex said, choking up as tears slipped down his face. "So many…" "It's not your fault Alex. You're the best fucking C.O. we could've asked for. These men all died with their brother, fighting for the love of the men beside them. They're in a better place now. They wouldn't have had it any other way." Alex nodded, choked up, before turning and wrapping Lucas in a tight embrace. "I love you so much brother." "I love you too brother. I'm always gonna be there for you Commander. Always will. I'm your number two and I ain't ever leaving your side. I promise."

Lucas reached his truck and found Brooke waiting with a soft kiss. "Hey pretty girl." "You okay Luke?" "No Brooke. No I'm not. This just…this fucking sucks." "I know baby. I know." She pulled Lucas's head into her chest as he began to release the tears in sobs. "I just, Brooke, I don't even know if it's fucking worth it! I would give my life for my country without a second thought, but I fucking hate watching my brothers die when they have so much left to give!" "Lucas, Julian gave his life for this country. He felt the same way that you do. He wouldn't have wanted this any other way. If he had the chance to live, he still would have jumped on that grenade to save his teammates. Now you have to honor him by being the best SEAL, friend, husband, and father you can be. That's what he would have wanted." Lucas nodded and sniffled, but let his head rest on Brooke's chest. "I'm so tired of hurting Brooke…I'm just so tired."

Alex reached his truck and found Alex Dupre sitting inside of it. "Hey love." She said as she gave him a kiss. "Hey." "How are you feeling?" "Like fucking dogshit. It's my fucking fault that he didn't make it." "No it's not babe. You know that he would have done that for his brothers again, no questions asked." "But it's my fucking deployment. I'm responsible for every one of my men Alex! And so many guys haven't come home…" "That's not your fault babe. You know that the Navy and JSOC assign you guys to the toughest ops in some of the worst hellholes on this planet. You know that almost every single mission that y'all go on is suicide for anyone else. You can't blame yourself Alex. These men died doing what they loved. We need to honor their memory. There's a time for mourning, but for now, let's celebrate the lives of these great men, okay?" Alex nodded. "Good. Now get it together SEAL. We'll go to Tric and get a few somber beers before heading home and to bed, okay?" Alex nodded again, still choked up, but doing a little better. "I'm glad you're home love. I missed you." Alex pulled her in and kissed her. "I missed you too. I love you Alex." "I love you too Alex."

Alex Peyton walked a short distance from the funeral and placed a call to Belle. After a few rings, it picked up. "Hello?" "Hey baby girl. It's me." "Alex? It's so good to hear your voice! How are you baby?" Alex shook off the choked up feeling that began to come through his voice. "I'm fine babe. You?" He, however, didn't hide it very well. Belle heard the tone and quickly picked up on it. "Babe, what's wrong? You're choked up and this is way off your timezone. What's wrong babe?" "I'm-I'm not out there anymore babe. I'm stateside." "Stateside? When? Why?" Alex wiped the tears from his eyes. "Julian's funeral."

Down in Disney World, backstage of her show, Belle nearly dropped the phone. "Oh my God…Baby…I'm so sorry. I didn't know…" "Yeah, he…he bled out in front of me. He watched him die in my fucking arms." Alex sniffled and wiped his eyes before going on again. "A contact dropped a grenade from a rise. None of us other than Julian saw it. He jumped on the grenade. Saved us all." "I'm so sorry Alex…that's all I can say baby. I don't know what else to say…" "No one does Belle. Just hearing your voice though…that helps." "I'll get on the next flight to Tree Hill, okay babe?" "You sure Belle?" "I'm positive. I love you Alex, you know that?" "I know babe." He said through sniffles and a tight voice. "I love you too. So very much." "I'll see you soon

When Payton got home, she went and sat in her love chair and pulled the letter out, knowing from the look in Alex's eyes that the letter was for her too. "Before my father died, he said the worst thing about growing old was that other men stop seeing you as dangerous…I've always remember that how being dangerous was sacred, a badge of honor. You live your life by a code. An ethos, every man does. It's your shoreline. It's what guides you home and trust me, you're always trying to get home. Your father was a reader, Churchill of course, but also Faulkner and books about Tecumseh. He loved artists who painted people with bodies that looked like boxes. I'd give him hell about that. He'd just say you gotta look harder. Look harder, your father would say, I always knew he wasn't just talking about those boxy abstract paintings. There's threats everywhere in a world that's draped in camouflage. Your father's grandfather gave up his life flying a B24 in World War II. He kept the liberator aloft just long enough for everyone to jump, and then he went down with the plane. That's the blood coursing in your veins. What we knew about each other's traits and our bond as operators. There's a brotherhood between us and we depended on each other more than a family. Tecumseh said although a single twig may break, a bundle of twigs is strong. Our platoon was heading downrange. We had Petty Officer 1st Class Lee Stover (Chase Rice), our sniper. He grew up in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Most excitement he found as a kid was bowling frozen turkeys down the aisle at the grocery store. Petty Officer 2nd Class Johnny Turturro (Manny Montana) our comms guy, our radioman, he grew up in East LA gangland. He has a Silver Star for pulling a wounded teammate out of the fray. Petty Officer 3rd Class Will Cloud (Luke Benward Beard), he was a youngun. Skipped out of school at sixteen and lied about his age, faked his social security and I.D. and everything. Made it all the way through BUD/S before anyone ever found out how old he was. The SEAL Trident Board was so impressed that they let him keep his trident. He had done two tours before he went to his senior prom. You got Petty Officer 3rd Class Jack Brewer (Leo Howard 2013). Should have made chief by now. He's been held back by political reasons outside of the SEALs, but that doesn't faze him. Nothing gets to that man. He's one of the coolest under pressure that I've ever met. Chief Petty Officer Scott Eastwood (Scott Eastwood) is the son of Clint Eastwood. Yeah, you heard me right. He gave up acting, modeling, girls, and riches beyond your wildest dreams to join the teams. I tell you, it made his father so proud. He's a great sailor and an even better man. Then you've got Chief Petty Officer Wade Kinsella (Wade Kinsella). Boy, now that man is a redneck like you wouldn't believe. Comes from deep down in South Alabama. He grew up with me and Brett. Great man. Then there's Senior Chief Petty Officer Jesse Lovett (Luke Bryan). He's a good ole Georgia boy. Joined the SEALs and always found ways to skip out on the swimming training after we got our tridents. Said he joined a terrorist killing machine, not a swim team. Chief Petty Officer Alex Peyton (Chris Pine), he's made of granite. This guy doesn't even do push-ups 'cause he's afraid his chest is gonna get too big. Senior Chief Petty Troy Bolton (Zac Efron The Lucky One) turned down full rides from some of the best college basketball teams in the nation so that he could join the teams. I'd go into a firefight with him anytime, no questions asked. Then there's Lt. Commander Brett Stevens (Liam Hemsworth Beard). He's one of the best leaders I have ever served with. Universally respected. One of my other best friends and brothers is Lt. Commander Eric Barrett (Chris Hemsworth Red Dawn). Another one of the best leaders I have ever served with. Then there's Chief Petty Officer Lucas Scott, your uncle. One of the best, if not the best, man I have ever met. He's one of the most decorated men sitting around this fire tonight, But as humble as he is, you'd never even know it. He keeps a picture of Brooke in his helmet and a lock of her hair in his pocket. Quiet as the breeze. That last night at home you think about how you coulda been a better dad, a better husband, that bedtime story you shoulda read or that anniversary you forgot. You don't expect your family to understand what your doing, You just hope they accept it. When you get home, you hope you can pickup right where you left off. War is a country of will, there's no room for sympathy. If you're not willing to give up everything…You've already lost. Your father was a good man. Growing up without him is going be hard. It's going to hurt. You'll feel alone, out to sea with no shore in sight. You'll wonder why me, why him. Remember you have warrior's blood in your veins, the code that made your father who he was is the same code that'll make you a man he would admire, respect. Put your pain in a box. Lock it down, like those people in the paintings your father liked. We are men made up of boxes, chambers of loss, triumph, of hurt and hope and love. No one is stronger or more dangerous than a man who can harness his emotions, his past. Use it as fuel, as ammunition, as ink to write the most important letter of YOUR life. Before your father died, your Uncle Luke asked me to give his son this poem by Tecumseh, in case he didn't make it home. I told him I'd fold it into a paper aeroplane, and in a way…I guess that's what I'm doing, sailing it to you. 'So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.'

Know that I love you, just like I loved your father. If you ever need anything son, and I do mean anything, I'll always be around.

Commander Alex"


	37. Chapter 34

June 30th, 2015

Lucas awoke to the smell of crackling bacon and pancakes that wafted in from the kitchen. Usually, he was coming in from a morning run around that time, but the past two days had consisted of him sitting around the house and not doing much more than thinking through the previous deployment. The frequent deployments to all corners of the earth were beginning to take a toll on him as a man, as his life became a constant cycle of shooting, killing, staring death in the face, watching it take his brothers from him, and then coming home to deal with the holes that were left in his heart. As he strode to the kitchen table, all he could think about was Payton, now all alone, and how it should be Julian who was making this walk to the table to see his beautiful wife, not him. "Everyone deserves this but me. Anyone else. Just not me…"

"Morning babe." Brooke said before giving him a soft peck on the lips. "Good morning." He replied after breaking the kiss. "How'd you sleep?" Brooke asked him as she turned back to the stove to finish taking off the pancakes. "Uh, pretty good, thanks for asking." Lucas lied. The truth was, Lucas had hardly slept a wink in his two nights' home, instead tossing and turning, while lying awake, thinking about Julian, Kelly, Mikey, and all of the rest of his brothers that he was walking the earth without. "That's good. Here's breakfast." She responded as she brought the hot plate down in front of Lucas. As Lucas began to eat, he felt eyes on him, and looked up to see Brooke staring at him, with her head resting on her arm as she looked at him with concern. "Luke, are you sure you're alright? You haven't been acting like yourself since you got back." Lucas shook his head in response. "I'm sorry Brooke…I really am. I just…I don't know. This war might be finally starting to catch up with me." Brooke nodded sympathetically and put Lucas's hands in hers. "I know it's hard baby. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this." Lucas nodded and kissed her forehead. "I appreciate that pretty girl. I do."

The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Brooke spoke again. "Eight years." "I'm sorry?" "Eight years Lucas. It's been eight years since the day they found you after Operation Red Wings." Lucas shook his head. "It's crazy how time flies. It's crazy to think how young I was back then…how immature. How little I understood about the world." "Yeah…" Brooke said, nodding in agreement as the two reminisced. "I've lost a lot of buddies over the years." Lucas said, shaking his head again. "Times have changed, that's for sure. I don't think any of us thought that our lives would turn out the way that they did. Least of all me."

Alex awoke from a deep sleep in Quinn and Clay's spare bedroom. Alex had offered to let him stay with her but he had denied, giving her some bullshit excuse. In truth, he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He needed space and knew that Clay, and Quinn especially, would understand that and give him the distance and time that he needed. Usually it only took a few days, but Alex wasn't sure about that this time. He knew that, for whatever reason, the previous deployment had been different. A gamechanger. He knew that the many deployments were starting to catch up with him. Alex shook his head and punched his pillow. He wasn't the young man that he had been and he knew that these deployments were starting to take a serious toll on him, both physically and emotionally. "My time is coming…I think it's about time for me to call it quits." Alex knew that eight years ago, to the day, when he went AWOL to rescue Lucas from the Taliban after effectively unloading on his bosses for not doing so themselves, that he had no chance of being promoted from that day on. And that had been fine with him, as he wanted to be out in the field, working with his men, running ops and taking down the enemy. His skill set was best used when he was in the field, not behind a desk. But with Lydia's deteriorating health and his realization that he had missed almost all of Jamie's growing up, he knew that the time was coming for him to call it quits.

"Morning sunshine." Quinn said with a smile, in an attempt to brighten Alex's day. He simply offered a smile to both her and Clay before responding, "I'm just going to ignore the two of you and pretend that your shirt is in fact yours and not Clays." The couple shared a look as Alex nondescriptly looked down at the cup of coffee he was drinking. "What's on schedule for today?" "I'm going to head over to Haley's and see them and Lydia. I haven't seen them since I got back in." "They said they can't wait to see you when I talked to them the other night." "You talked to them the other night and didn't tell me?" Alex asked, surprised. "It was late and you were on the phone most of the night. After you got done with that long call, you looked exhausted. What was that about anyways?" "Debrief via phone. One of the perks of AOIC." "Your grind never stops, that's for sure." Alex looked at the two of them and thought, "Hell, there's no better time to bring it up then now. Speaking of Quinn…I've been thinking. I'm…I'm not sure that I'm gonna reup when my contract is up."

Quinn's cup almost fell out of her hand in shock when she heard cousin say those words. After a few seconds of initially not knowing what to say, she managed, "why?" "Lydia's condition has me thinking. I've missed so much time with her. I've missed almost all of Jamie growing up. I met your ex-husband at y'alls wedding and I've seen him twice since. I've missed everything in everyone's life since I joined. I've spent more time on Afghanistan than I have in Tree Hill. It's time I came home. I can't be a SEAL forever. I've put the teams above my family for too long. It's time I stop acting like a kid with this and become a man." Quinn stood there, still shellshocked. "I never thought I would hear you say those words." Alex shrugged. "My time in the teams has ruined a marriage and friendships in one town. I won't let it do that again. Even if it means I have to sacrifice my career." "Wow." Quinn said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?" The three all laughed before Quinn got serious once again. "Alex, believe me, I want this so badly, and I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but are you sure that this is what you want? I don't want you to leave the teams and then spend the rest of your life miserable on our account. We want, more than anything, for you to be happy Alex. Even if that means that we have to let you go." Alex nodded and pulled Quinn under his arm before saying, "I appreciate that Quinny. I do. And if I didn't think that the time was coming, then I wouldn't be considering it. But I have missed so much because of my time in the teams. It's high time that I got my priorities straight. The teams…they're my brothers. But y'all are my family too, and y'all are blood. It's time that I started putting y'all first. My time as an operator is coming to an end, and thanks to my little rant during Red Wings, there's no chance of me getting a promotion. From the looks of things, they're about to stick me back on beach detachment at Coronado. Well, I'm not gonna have any of that. So after my next deployment, that's it. I'll be done." "Have you talked to Lucas about it?" Clay asked. "Yeah, we've talked about it. He understands where I'm coming from. In all honesty, with the kids on the way, I think that he might be considering getting out to." "No way." Quinn said. "This is too much. My circuits are overloading." Quinn said while laughing. Alex pushed her head out of the way in response while laughing himself. "Alright C3PO, whatever. This just means that I'll be around to annoy you much more frequently. Anyways, I'm gonna go grab a shower and then head over to Haley's. Oh and speaking of…how's Lydia doing?" Quinn shook her head, her eyes tearing up a little bit. "She seems…fine. I just, I don't know. There's not a whole lot of time left, you know? I just…I can't think about her not being around. I can't think of her not being here anymore." "Don't think about it. Just live every day to the fullest and enjoy the time that you have left with her. If you keep thinking about what's coming next then you're going to drive yourself crazy. Take it from a SEAL who knows this better than anything else. Live every moment to the fullest and without regret. When her time comes…hell, there's nothing we can do. It sucks, but that's just the honest to God truth. We just have to push forward, hooyah?"

Alex Peyton pulled his truck into the parking lot of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa at Disney World, where Belle lived. In a few short minutes, he was in front of her door on the top floor, flowers hidden behind his back. He knocked and she answered with, "Hello?" "Hey beautiful." She smiled and leaned up for a kiss. "I thought you said that you had to head back to Coronado for maneuvers?" "Eh, maybe I just felt like surprising you. No maneuvers. I'm done for the time being." She smiled and kissed him again. "Well I'm glad to hear that. Come on in." Alex walked into the luxurious penthouse suite and let out a low whistle. "Damn, it gets me every time. You sure lucked out with this one." She giggled in response. "I know. Pretty nice being as important as me." "Oh yeah?" He asked while coming towards her, cornering her towards the bed. She winked at him. "Oh yeah."

Hours later, the two were out on the deck, enjoying the bright day with some lemonade. "So how long are you home for?" "That's the thing. Ummmm, to be honest, I really don't know, for two reasons. Number one, they haven't given us any details on when we're headed back to Afghanistan, so I couldn't begin to speculate. Number two, and most importantly, I'm not sure that I'll be leaving home much anymore." "And why's that?" "See, the thing is…I don't think that I'm gonna reup after I finish my contract." "You're not?" Belle asked, totally surprised. "Why?" "Well…I don't think that I'm cut out to do this much longer. It's starting to take a toll. I've missed everything and everyone since I started deploying all these years ago. And don't be scared by this, but…I met you. And I'm serious about this. I've seen the toll that being in the teams takes on relationships, and I don't want that for us. I'm serious about taking the next steps, and one of those steps is, sometime soon, leaving the SEALs." Belle smiled and kissed him deeply before responding, "I'm glad you're that serious. I'm serious about us too and I want this to work. I'm honored that you would be willing to give up something that you love so much to be with me. That means a lot to me." The two kissed again before settling into a comfortable silence underneath the Florida sun.

Lucas pulled his truck to a stop at the river court and jumped out, surprised to find that he wasn't the only one there. Sitting on a bench, overlooking the shipyards on the river sat Alex, who was gazing out at a ship across the channel. "Morning Luke." "Morning Alex." The other greeted him. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes before Alex spoke. "See that ship over yonder?" Lucas nodded. "A Arleigh Burke-class destroyer named after Mikey. The USS Michael Murphy. Fuck I miss that man." "Me too buddy. Me too." The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes before Lucas asked, "Why did you bring it up?" Luke, that destroyer has been a project since a few months after Red Wings. She's almost done now. When she sails out, it's gonna signal the end of an era." Lucas looked at him. "You're not gonna reup, are you?" Alex shook his head. "No Luke. No I'm not." "So this is it? This workup and this upcoming deployment are your last?" "That sounds about right." "Why?" "Lydia's situation got me thinking. I've missed too much of my family. I missed seeing almost all of Jamie growing up. I've missed most of the major events in my family's life. I'm done missing out on life. I'm gonna settle down with Alex, get a house with a white picket fence here in Tree Hill, get a nine to five, and live a normal life." "Alex that sounds like a miserable life for you. You'd hate that." Alex smiled and shook his head. "I disagree. I think that I could like it. I think it's about time to settle down. My time in the teams has ruined one marriage and my relationships with almost everyone I grew up with. I won't let it do that again. I finish my contract and I'm done." "Well I'm proud of you brother." "Thanks Luke. I appreciate that. What about you? What are you thinking?" "The kids on the way have got me thinking about the future. I've been in for a long time brother. I've seen a lot of things and I've done a lot of things. I think it's about time to move on." "You love it too much to give it up brother." "So do you Alex. And yet…here we are." "Here we are." The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before Alex got up, slapped Lucas on the back, and headed home. As he was walking away, he turned around, saying, "I don't know what comes next Luke. I don't brother. But I know whatever it is, you're going to kick ass at it. And I'll be with you every step of the way. Nothing's gonna change that."

"Mom, I love you." Lydia shook her head, laughing, before saying, "Haley, you have been saying that every five minutes since you found out that I have cancer." "I know…it's just, I-"Lydia put her finger to Haley's lips and said, "You're being a Debbie downer. Now stir the dumpling batter." Haley nodded and began to do just that. Then she heard the doorbell ring and gave Lydia a hug before walking to the other room to answer it. "Hello?" "Hey Hales." Haley smiled and hugged her cousin before letting Alex in through the door. "How are you?" She asked him as she put her head on his chest as they walked through the foyer. "I'm good, I just came to drop off these." He fished in his back pocket and pulled out some papers. "What are these?" "They're Lydia's funeral arrangements. I just finished them up for her." "You did them?" "I have to do mine and some of my men's before every deployment. I've gotten pretty good at it over the years." "I'm sorry." "Don't be. It's all in the job description." "Are you ok Alex?" "I don't know Haley. I will be soon, I know that." She nodded and kissed his cheek before wrapping him in a tight hug. "Ok Alex. Whatever you say." He held her tight before letting go, saying, "I've gotta head out. I'm picking up Alex to go get lunch. Figured that'd be nice." "It really would be. She's a lucky gal. I'll see you soon, ok?" Alex nodded and have her one more hug before he saw Nathan walk down the stairs. "Hey Nate." "Hey man." The two quickly embraced before Nathan said, "It's good to have you home again man." "It's good to be back. Listen, I've gotta head out, but I left Lydia's papers here, ok?" "Sounds good man. Have a good day. See you at dinner soon?" "Definitely. I'll make sure to swing by and see Jamie here in the next few days." The three embraced once more, and Haley whispered to him, "It's good to have you back Alex. We missed you." "Missed y'all too. It's good to be home."

Lydia walked back in the kitchen and began speaking to Lydia, "Mom, could you be any more morbid leaving your funeral arrangements out?..." She found Lydia on the floor, the soup and bowl spread around her collapsed form. Haley fell to her knees, screaming, "MOM! NATHAN! ALEX! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Nathan and Alex, hearing her screams, both rushed into the room, with the medic side of Alex taking over. "Nathan, secure her head. We're gonna pick her up, get her in the back of my truck, and get to the hospital now, copy?" Nathan nodded and the two lifted her, with Haley rushing to his truck to turn it on. "Haley, when we get there, I'll get the medics and go in with them. Get on the phone and let the family know."

Hours later, Lydia was in surgery and the rest of the family had gathered in the chapel to pray and seek comfort in one another. While most of them sat together in a few of the pews, Alex sat off by himself, his hands clasped as he leaned up against the pew in front of him. But instead of praying, he was thinking, remembering, back to a day with his family. The last day that he had seen them.

_Alex gave his mom a hug and laughed at a joke of his Dad's before grabbing a beer and stepping out into the terrace that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico. His mom followed him out there. "So this is it. One last night together." He gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "We've gotten good at doing this mama. It'll be fine. It always is." "Where are they sending you this time?" "Back to Bagram. You know the drill." "Be safe, ok?" "I always am mama. I always am."_

Quinn came over and wrapped him in a hug. "What is it Alex?" "Just thinking about mama. Lydia's my second mama and it got my thinking about my family." "Have you seen them since you got back?" Alex shook his head. "I don't get down there much anymore." "You miss them Alex. You need to go home." "I am home Quinn. Don't you understand? When everything fell apart with Tori, the town turned its back on me. Everyone thought that I had put my career ahead of my family. I'm the black sheep of the town now, even if I am in the service. But y'all? Y'all embraced me, took me in. I'm near the base, I'm near my men, I'm near friends, and I'm near family. This is home now." Quinn kissed his forehead and pulled him in close, wrapping him in a loving embrace. "Your mama misses you Alex. I talked to her the other day." Quinn began to choke up. "She said…she said she doesn't know if she's ever going to see her little boy again before…before they bring him home in a flag covered coffin." Alex burst into tears, gripping Quinn tight. "Don't you see Quinn? Don't you see the reason everything fell apart? That boy that she talked about? He died in the mountains of Afghanistan long ago! I'm a shell of what I used to be Quinn! That's the real reason that I can't go home! That's the real reason things didn't work out with Tori! That's the real reason I can't go back to Bluebell! The guy they knew died in Afghanistan. I'm just a shell of what I used to be…"

Brooke walked into the chapel to find Lucas praying. "Hey baby. Are you ok?" Lucas sniffled and shrugged. "There's too much pain in this world Brooke. Lydia and the family…they don't deserve this." "I know Lucas. I know." "It just sucks. Why can't things in the world be right? At least here…This used to be a safe place Brooke. Tree Hill wasn't like the rest of the world. It was an escape from everything else. Now…it's wrapped up in pain and misery, just like everywhere else." "Maybe it's always been like this. Just because our growing up was sheltered doesn't mean that it was never like this." "Maybe…but I'd like to think that it was. Out on the River Court today got me thinking Brooke. Out there, everything used to be so simple. So safe. But now…Mikey's ship is being finished right in front of it. There's no solace there anymore." Brooke sat there with him for a minute thinking about that before speaking again, "Lucas, you chose the life that you live. Because of what you do, you see the world differently than the rest of us. The rest of us see everything in a grey light. Life is just life, and there's nothing that anyone can do about it. But to you, the world is black and white, and a single action can change everything. Because of that, you feel responsible, guilty even, when the world isn't like it was. But we grew up Lucas. We're not kids hanging out in high school anymore and we're not teens partying it up at Tric with fakes. The world is what it is. It's a dark, desolate place. That's the real problem here. You see everything for what it is, and because of that, you feel responsible for it being what it is. You can't save everyone Luke. You have to let this go Luke. You have to let it go."

Just then, Lucas's phone rang. He gave Brooke a quick kiss and stepped out of the chapel before answering, "Go for Lucas." "Hey Luke…it's Tori." Lucas almost dropped the phone before recovering and saying, "Tori…this isn't really the best time right now-" "That's why I called. I was in the general area and was planning on talking to Alex when I heard about what happened. Can you get him to meet me please? The hospital coffee shop. For closure." Lucas ran his hand down his face and sighed. "I'll see what I can do." "Thank you."

Lucas walked up to Alex and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to follow. Once they had left the room, Lucas began. "Alex, Tori just called. She's downstairs and wants to meet with you." Alex sighed and shook his head. "Did she say why?" "Closure." Alex shook his head, thinking to himself, before slowly nodding his head yes. "Alright. I'll go. Watch the family for me. Call me if anything happens." "Will do sir."

Alex slowly walked down the few flights of steps and down a hallway, gathered himself and his thoughts, and walked into the coffee shop. He spotted her immediately, her beauty not having aged a day. She stood up and came over to him and gave him a hug before they sat down. "Hey." "Hi. How are you holding up?" Alex shrugged his shoulders. "As well as can be expected. I'm getting used to this type of thing. Sit and wait for the bad news to get worse." Tori nodded sympathetically before reaching into her purse to pull out a small box. "I came to give you this." Alex nodded, took it, opened it, and found a ring inside. "You're giving me back the ring?" "It seemed like the right thing to do." Alex nodded, his light smile forced. "So this is really it then, isn't it?" Tori nodded. "You've moved on. I know you have. And that's ok Alex." He nodded in response. "I just never thought we'd come to this day…I've thought about you every day since I left." "I've thought of you too. Alex, I love you and I always will…but it's over." "I know…I know. It's just hard to wrap my mind around. I've loved you my whole adult life. Now it's really over. It's really starting to sink in." "Promise me one thing Alex. Promise me that you'll be safe…and one day, that when you're done, really done, you'll come back to Bluebell, to a family and town that loves you and misses you. You're in our prayers Alex. We love you and always will." Alex nodded, his eyes red, and gently held her hand before putting the box back inside of it and curling her hand around it. "Keep it…don't forget about me. There's nothing left for me in Bluebell Tori. My life is here now." She nodded and stood up before wrapping Alex in one last hug. "So is this goodbye?" She whispered to him. He simply nodded and squeezed her harder before she turned and walked away. All he could do was whisper, "Goodbye Tori."

Lucas watched the scene unfold from the glass window of the coffee shop. As he watched her turn away and his commanding officer turned best friend watch her walk away with pain in his eyes, Lucas felt himself fall back against the wall of the hospital and collapse in pain. _"This world…our world…is so painful because it's built on goodbyes."_


	38. Chapter 35

July 2nd, 2015

Lydia awoke to see Haley at her bedside. Haley, seeing that she was awake, quickly rushed over to her bedside and wrapped her in a hug. "Mom, how are you feeling?" She asked after they broke the embrace. Lydia painfully shrugged in response, saying, "It could be worse." "Well, you'll be better and out of here in no time." Lydia gave Haley a motherly look before responding, "I talked to the doctors too Haley. I know that I don't have much time left."

Alex paced back and forth outside of the room, sometimes holding his chin in his hand, sometimes running his hands through his hair and down his face, and other times hitting the wall as hard as he possibly could, before sinking down to his knees and putting his face in his hands to let out the sobs that he had kept bottled up while he tried to be strong for the rest of the family. It was just after he collapsed to the floor that he felt a rush of wind and a hug. He lifted his face to see Quinn wrapping him in a hug and rocking him back and forth. "Shhhhhhhhh, it's all going to be okay cuz. It's all going to be ok." Alex shook his head. "She's become like a second mother to me Quinn. How am I supposed to let go?" He asked before putting his head in his hands again. Quinn slowly pulled his head into her shoulder and kissed his forehead. "The same way you do with your men." Alex picked his head up and looked at her with red eyes. "And who said I let them go? They haunt me…they haunt my dreams…my nightmares. All I can see is them and how I failed to save them. What they could have been but aren't. I've never let go before Quinn. I can't start now Quinn. I'm not strong enough…"

At that moment, Haley walked out of the room and motioned her two family members to come over. "Alex, she wants to talk to you alone. After that…go home Alex. You've been here for three days straight and haven't slept at all. You have a major event at the base on the fourth. You need rest. We can handle it here. And before you argue, it's happening. Mama Hales will make sure of that. There's no discussion." Alex nodded, gathered his thoughts, and then walked into the room. Lydia smiled weakly when she saw him and slowly motioned him to come closer. Alex did so, taking her hand and kissing it before kissing her on the forehead. "You're such a darling. I should have raised all my children in the south. Maybe they would all be well mannered like you." Alex smiled lightly and shook his head. "You can thank mama for that Lydia." "Have you talked to her lately?" "No…it's hard. I'm a completely different man than who I used to be. I can't find the words to make them understand me." "They love you very much Alex. They're very proud of you." "I know…but that doesn't make it any easier." Lydia took his hands and looked him dead in the eyes, all of a sudden intensely serious. "Alex, I need you to promise me something. Make up with your family and get back to the way things were with them. You need to be strong Alex…because very soon it's going to be you carrying the family. They'll look to you for guidance and leadership. I need you to promise me you'll make things right back home so that way you can keep things right here." Alex nodded and wiped tears from his eyes. "Yes ma'am." She looked at him and saw the tears beginning to run down his face. "What is it Alex?" Alex began to sob. "I'm sorry I wasn't here more Lydia. I'm sorry that I let the teams control every aspect of my life. I'm sorry that I couldn't be more for you or this family-" "Shhhhhhhh, sweet boy, is that what you think I think?" "How couldn't you? I spent my entire life running around the globe so I wouldn't have to face my problems here!" Lydia pulled him close and whispered, "Sweet baby, this family couldn't be ANY prouder of you. You've been a leader for this family far longer than you could ever know. More than that Alex, you're a beacon of hope. You've done everything with passion and excellence that one can only be born with. We love You Alex. You're doing what you were meant to do." "I just don't wanna disappoint y'all…" "You're a good man Alex. Nothing that you can do will ever make us disappointed with who you are." The other side of the bed was empty, so Alex went and crawled in, sliding under the sheets in his jeans and boots and burying his head in Lydia's shoulder while wrapping his arms around her. "You always were a hugger." Lydia whispered as she kissed his forehead before they both fell into a deep comfortable sleep.

Quinn walked in a little while later, which woke the aunt and her nephew. "Hey." Lydia said, her sleep still in her voice. "Hey," Quinn responded with a smile, "How you feeling?" "Ooh, a little tired. What's with all the hardware?" Clay smiled before saying, "Your daughter and I Have been working on something special for you. I'll be right back." Clay left to grab some materials and Lydia looked over at Quinn and smiled. "Now, you know that I loved David, but I have the same feeling about Clay That I did with Nathan. I think he's one of the good ones." "Yeah. He's special. I really love him." "Well, have you told him?" "Not yet. But I think he's pretty clear on that." "Oh, you do, do you? Well, just in case you haven't figured this out yet, Men need to be hit over the head with things. Sometimes frying pans. But mostly love. Don't be afraid to do it." Quinn smiled despite herself. "Am I that obvious?" "You have always been my heart girl, The one with the most unbridled passions. Just give your head permission to follow your heart, okay?" Quinn nodded, smiled, and kissed her mother's forehead. "Okay. I promise."

Alex and Lydia awoke sometime later to find Jamie sliding onto the other side of the bed. "I have a surprise for you." "What's that?" Jamie turned on his globe that put stars all over the room. "Make a wish." Jamie smiled and kissed his grandma, who, with tears in her eyes, whispered, "It's marvelous." A few minutes later, Clay turned it off and positioned the projector. "Mom, are you comfortable?" Haley asked. She nodded and Alex stood up, gesturing Quinn over to the bed to take his place. The SEAL then went over to the corner and fell back against the wall, sliding down it with his head in his hands. From his many experiences, he knew when the body and the mind slowly began to shut down, and he knew the end for Lydia was near. "Okay mom, here we go." Quinn said, holding her mother close. The projector turned on and pictures from the many photo albums the Scott family had began to play across the screen. "My beautiful babies." She said with a smile.

An hour later, after seeing pictures of the girls growing up, Lydia's husband, her work, many pictures of Alex in some sort of naval uniform or gear, and the entire family together, the final picture scrolled across the screen. The picture showed the entire family at Lydia's birthday party, days before Alex was sent to Afghanistan. It was the last time the family had all been together up until then. All of those in the room felt hot tears stream down their cheeks, as Lydia said, "I guess I did alright." "You did everything, mom." Haley said, the tears coming hardest for her. Lydia closed her eyes and lifted her head. "Hello handsome." She whispered. Alex leaned over from the new position he had found on the edge of the bed and kissed his aunt's forehead one last time before slowly pulling the cords from the monitor, not wanting the beeping to ruin the moment. Quinn and Haley buried themselves in their mothers last embrace and Alex laid on her legs and chest, tightly holding her one final time.

Days later, the entire Tree Hill family gathered at the cemetery for the final goodbye at Lydia's grave. All were in black, save for Alex, who stood strong for his family in his dress blues. The small service concluded with Alex saying the final prayer and watching the casket be lowered into the ground. The SEAL wrapped his arms around Haley and Quinn, holding them tightly and kissing each on their foreheads. "It's gonna be okay." He whispered. "We're gonna be alright. I promise." "Are you sure?" Quinn whispered. "I'm sure. We'll always be here for each other. Always."

Shortly after the funeral ended and everyone headed back to the Quinn's house for lunch, Lucas walked up to Alex, the last remaining person, who was staring at the fresh grave. "Why the dress blues?" He asked him simply. "Without Lydia, her belief, her positive words, everything she did for me, there's no way that I ever would have become a SEAL. Not without her." "I'm sorry brother." Alex sighed. "I'm sorry too." He reached inside his pocket and pulled out some folded sheets of paper. "We're redeploying."

Jamie walked into the kitchen and sniffed before running over to his mother. "Something smells awesome." "Mm. This is your grandma's chicken-dumpling soup. And you are just in time." "I am?" "Yes. Did you know that this is A very special chicken-dumpling soup recipe that specifically calls for a handsome seven-year-old boy named Jamie to stir the dumpling batter?" Jamie smiled and responded, "What are the chances?" "I don't know. Now come here." She wrapped her son in a deep hug and kissed his forehead before beginning to instruct him, saying, "Now, the secret is to stir the batter slowly. And the whole peppercorns, not the table stuff…"

Quinn bit her lip and walked over to Clay and planted a hard kiss on his lips. "Hey." Clay smiled, asking, "What's up?" "What's up is that I love you. In case you didn't know." Clay smiled before kissing her again. "I love you, too. Nothing's ever gonna change that."

Lucas was kissing his wife deeply on their couch, happily enjoying their alone time. "Something wrong?" She asked, breaking the kiss. Lucas shook his head and smiled. "Nothing pretty girl. I'm just so happy that I've got you." Brooke smiled and kissed him again, pulling him towards her before whispering, "I'm happy that I've got you too. I love you Lucas Scott." "And I love you Brooke Davis Scott." With that, Lucas kissed her again, not ready to break any news to her yet.

"…and you received your orders?" Army officer General Holder, head of JSOC, asked. "Yessir. I'll begin prepping right now." The general sighed. "I'm sorry Alex. I really am. I know it's terrible timing with Lucas and the twins and your aunt. I know things are fragile on the home front but we need you here. The Taliban is kicking our ass and there's no way that I can push back without Team 6." "Thank you sir, but there's no need to explain. We'll handle things on our end, no questions asked." "I know son. That's why I give you so much. I know that you can handle it." "Yessir. And thank you for the flowers sir. My family very much appreciated you thinking of us in this time." "Of course Alex. You're one of my best and brightest leaders, even if you are in another branch. I care about you and your family. I genuinely hope it gets better." "It will. Thank you, sir. Commander Martin out." Alex ended the call and looked out over the Atlantic Ocean from Clay's terrace. _"Back to Afghanistan one last time…"_


End file.
